chapter 05

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Recent events made Jean realize that she needed to talk to Scott. To effectively manage Scott's newfound life, she must understand his desires. Does he want to learn control? Does he want to get answers? What does he want?

Jean, an ordinary human, couldn't possibly read his mind or know what he wanted. So, the best thing a supportive friend like her can do is go to Scott's house and find out. That's exactly what Jean did the moment her swim practice finished. She bolted out of there so fast that she received unusual glares from Coach Sinclair.

As strange as it may sound, she can't get over how unbelievable it is that someone's entire existence can be converted in a single second. All red-blooded, mortal, ordinary individuals possess the potential to change into magnificent, impossible, and mystical creatures.

Her skin pricked as she walked and thought about it, little bumps springing out of her arms. It was such a remarkably frightening truth. It bothered Jean to know that there was something bigger going on than her typical teenage struggles. In all honesty, she's not sure how much of this new reality she can take.

Perhaps with training and learning alongside Scott and, unfortunately, Stiles, she would feel better. The thought of having to train Scott with Stiles made her roll her eyes, a gesture she didn't even realize she made until a passerby gave her a strange look. Her annoyance with Stiles was almost instinctual at this point.

Her mind eased the moment she arrived at Scott's house. At first, she knocked a few times, but when it became obvious that no one was home, she dug out her key chain from her bag and unlocked the door herself.

The house was quiet when she entered it, which confirmed that nobody was home. Scott was most likely with Stiles, doing God knows what, while Melissa was most likely in the hospital, working more shifts than the average person.

If you asked her where she got Scott's house key, she would gladly and proudly answer that she stole it from Stiles. Initially, it was to piss him off, something Jean loves to do daily, but then she wondered. Why would Stiles have a key to Scott's house and not me? It seems rather unfair, so she kept it. The thought of him not being the only superior one amused her.

While it is impolite to get into someone's house without their permission, Jean kept her boundaries by staying strictly on the first floor. She plopped herself onto the couch and rested her body and brain for a little bit.

Time passes quite quickly when people are deep asleep. Jean arose from her quick nap on Scott's brown cotton couch when someone tapped her knees lightly. She blinked a few times to gather her focus, then she saw Scott smiling softly towards her.

"Scott!" Jean exclaimed in shock. She wasn't ready to be awakened from her nap at all.

"Why are you here, Jean?" inquired Scott. His brows furrowed together. It was unlike Jean to not go straight home when she was exhausted.

Jean stood up immediately to face Scott eye-to-eye; she stated with confidence that aired throughout the room, "I need to know what you want to do with your new power."

Realizing that Scott is more confused than ever by the look on his face, Jean continued her explanation, "I mean, you're no longer human now. Do you want to learn how to control your power? Or know about the origins of it?"

Scott looked surprised by her line of questions. Jean guessed that he hadn't had the time to process what was truly going on with his new life. Considering his hesitance, Jean began, "I can help you figure it out, Scott. You don't have to be alone in this." She smiled softly, trying to soothe Scott's mind.

"I– I guess I haven't really thought about it," stammered Scott anxiously.

Before Jean could continue spurting out the plan she had in mind, concocted on her way to McCall's house, Scott cut her off by grumbling, "I know for a fact that I can't stay like this."

Puzzled by that news, Jean asked further what he meant by that. "You mean, you don't want to stay as a werewolf?"

He nodded casually, and Jean understood. No one in their sane mind would want to stay as some mystical creature forever. The hassle of it, plus with the whole hunting thing going on, makes it dangerous for Scott to change into his 'other' form, especially when he hasn't mastered control yet.

"So, when do you want to start learning control?"

That question from Jean prompted Scott's entire body to turn around so fast, facing right back to Jean. He sighed. "I don't want to be this... creature. I want to get rid of whatever is happening inside my body."

May it be delusion or just pure stupidity, Jean doesn't know whether she should support Scott's mindset or try to alter it. What are the odds that there's an undo button that humans can click when something life-changing happens in their lives? Jean might believe in miracles, but this one sounds impossible.

Her face is painted with uncertainty. "I'm sure there's a way to undo whatever is happening to me," stated Scott with absolute confidence after seeing the look on Jean's face.

Jean refrained from responding to Scott's hopeful blow. What does she know anyway about undoing a werewolf bite? There might be a cure after all.

"In the meantime, you should still learn how to control it. I heard from Stiles that there are hunters, and the safest option while we're looking for the cure is for you to learn control," Jean insisted.

She reluctantly acknowledged that it terrified her to her core, witnessing the entire sequence in which Scott lost control over his new 'alter ego'.

"Yeah...."

The way Scott brushed over Jean's advice unnerved her. It's the most logical option to pursue control while trying to find the cure; Jean doesn't understand why Scott could possibly not want to learn control.

Jean decided to stop pushing her agenda. She knew Scott well, and his new temper was something she had to tread lightly around. After a moment, Scott excused himself and headed upstairs, leaving Jean alone in the living room.

As she was scrolling through her phone, the front door slammed open, and Jean tensed until she realized it was just Stiles. He glared at her, crossing his arms.

"What are you doing here?" Stiles asked, disdain dripping from his voice.

"None of your business," Jean shot back, not bothering to look up from her phone. But she couldn't resist a small, smug smile when she heard Stiles' indignant huff.

Stiles spotted the sparkling silver key—Scott's house key—with a peach key chain hanging around it quite quickly. "You have a key here?!" Stiles exclaimed.

It truly astonishes Jean that Stiles thinks he's that special. He's not the only one capable of being a mastermind.

Jean made the decision to ignore Stiles' foolish question and head in the direction of Scott's room. Before he allowed her in, she knocked twice. While Scott was busy repairing the net on his torn lacrosse stick, Jean sat on his bed comfortably.

Not even 30 seconds later, Stiles burst into Scott's room, manically fuming. He breathlessly demanded, his words tumbling out in a rush, "What did you find? How did you find it? Where did you find it?"

The ever-so-calm Scott only looks up at Stiles curiously without bothering to answer his numerous questions, which led to Stiles explaining with his eyes blinking furiously, "And, yes, I've had a lot of Adderall, so..."

Putting down his lacrosse stick on the bed, Scott responded, "I found something at Derek Hale's."

Jean's interest peaked. If they could find something to use against Derek, it might help Scott reverse his curse. But when she caught Stiles eyeing her curiously, she narrowed her eyes at him, silently daring him to question her involvement.

Gasping widely, Stiles exclaimed, "Are you kidding? What?"

"There's something buried out there. I could smell blood."

An outward groan could be heard coming from Jean. She just knew this was going to involve some sort of bloody crime.

Like the psychopath that he is, Stiles beamed with giddiness, "That's awesome!"

Feeling the judgmental gaze scorching through his skull, Stiles rephrased his sentence with the most bogus sincerity anyone could ever hear. "I mean, that's terrible. Whose blood?"

With a determined expression, Scott gets up to face Stiles and claims, "I don't know. But when we do, your dad nails Derek for the murder. And then you help me figure out how to play lacrosse without changing, because there's no way I'm not playing that game."

Jean was alarmed by Scott's eager tone when he mentioned playing the game. Given that he is incapable of controlling his new condition, it is impossible for him to consider playing the game.

Despite her deep sympathy for Scott, there's a bigger stake here. One with greater significance than a teenage boy playing first line in lacrosse. However, she could appreciate Scott's standpoint; she only hoped that he could think rationally and be more careful with his actions.

For Scott, playing first line has always been his dream, so it was heartbreaking when his asthma suddenly cleared up just to find himself facing another massive rock blocking his dream. Jean is just concerned that Scott won't allow that rock to stand in his path, no matter the cost.

Her views got stronger when Scott held out his lacrosse stick for Jean and Stiles to see. Jean stared down at the hardwood floor, unsure of what to do. She had a gut feeling that everything would fall apart.

"Hey, we should check out the hospital; remember the half-dead body they found? Maybe it's the other half that's buried in Derek's house," Stiles suggested with his adventurous spirit up.

Jean sighed. It was just the kind of wild idea she'd expected from Stiles, but it didn't make her any less nervous. Stiles caught her sigh and raised an eyebrow, but she avoided his gaze, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had unnerved her.

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I

t didn't take long for the three of them to carry out the plan Stiles just hatched. Once they made it inside the hospital, Stiles nudged Scott's arm towards the sign-written morgue.

Right at this moment, Jean truly wanted to scream her lungs out. This whole endeavor is ridiculous, and for what? Putting Derek in jail will not cure Scott. Moreover, Jean feels like scraping Stiles' toothy smile till it burns.

Scott takes one last look around before slowly backing into the door towards the morgue, leaving Stiles and Jean behind as the lookout squad. This is bad, Jean thought vehemently.

Jean muttered, full of hope, "Be careful."

Once Scott was out of their sight, Jean proposed to Stiles, "I'll stay here, you go back to the lobby so it won't look suspicious."

With a nod of obedience, Jean watched Stiles walk away towards the lobby. Now she can finally breathe comfortably. Under Stiles' scrutinizing gaze, Jean always felt like she needed to be on full alert at all times. One wrong move from her will be a weapon Stiles uses to destroy her image in front of Scott.

Jean is fully aware of how absurd it is for her to think the way that she does, but she can't afford to risk it. For as long as she can remember, Stiles has made attempts to keep her out of whatever he and Scott have planned. She is confident that Stiles will seize the chance to ensure she never interacts again with Scott.

Ever since they were mere kids, Scott has always had a soft spot for Jean. Gaining Scott's trust didn't take much, as she was the first to assist him after he spilled water all over his paintings in kindergarten.

Jean remembered, clear as the sky, how Scott's eyes were full of tears, ready to spill, seeing his work of art ruined because of himself. She calmed him down by spewing hopeful chants into his ears.

Little doe-eyed Scott was immediately enchanted by the ever-optimistic, dirty blonde-haired girl. Jean just knew that Stiles doesn't have what it takes to influence Scott the way that she does. That remains the underlying root of their inability to put up with one another.

A few minutes later, Scott came out of the morgue room, and Jean led the way towards Stiles, who was non-weirdly reading a pamphlet regarding the menstrual cycle. It should shock her, but it doesn't. It's exactly the type of weird stuff Stiles would read to pass the time.

Scott immediately ripped it out of Stiles' hand, and Jean smirked smugly when she saw how Stiles jumped in his seat and yelled loudly at Scott's action.

It brings her utter joy to see Stiles embarrassing himself. On the other hand, Scott looks dazed and disturbed by what he just learned from the morgue. He reported, "The scent was the same."

Her brows furrowed, she asked, "Are you sure?"

Jean doubted the extent of Scott's new power, and with good reason too. Scott has barely managed to control his shifts, and Jean is sure that his new powers need training as well.

When Scott answered with an unwavering yes, Jean let it go. Stiles, trying to be a detective, wonders, "So, he did bury the other half of the body on his property?"

"Which means we have proof he killed the girl." There was no denying Scott's delighted expression when he stated that.

Being the reality check that everyone needs, Jean inquired, "How are we going to explain that we know this?"

In Stiles' fashion, he completely ignored what Jean had to say and remarked, "I say we use it."

Annoyed at what Stiles did, Jean started to walk away towards the entrance of the hospital. Stiles trailed behind her, followed by a puzzled Scott. It didn't take long for Scott to inquire further about Stiles' ideas.

Jean could hear the loud sigh coming from Stiles; it made her turn her back to check on the two of them. Stiles requested, "Tell me something first—are you doing this because you want to stop Derek or because you want to play in the game and he said you couldn't?"

Well, it turns out Stiles isn't as stupid as she thought he would be. Stiles must've realized the eagerness in Scott's action to prove Derek wrong, just like how she's always eager to prove Stiles wrong.

The latter was the obvious response to Stiles' question, and based on Scott's expression, Jean could tell just how much he wanted to say it.

Thankfully, Scott was rather attentive and said, "There are bite marks on the legs, Stiles—bite marks." Without a doubt, Scott was trying to coax Stiles by using his hero complex with that statement.

And just like that, Stiles is convinced. "Okay. Then we're gonna need a shovel."

Watching Stiles smack Scott playfully on the shoulders, Jean couldn't help but feel a sense of dread lurking deep in her veins. Her stomach dropped just at the thought of what Stiles had planned. She doesn't think putting Derek Hale in jail is a good idea, and she stands by this fervently. It's never wise to mess with something if you don't know its capabilities.

All of them returned to Stiles' house to get the tools required to dig a grave, and at this time, Jean has been attempting to persuade the two naive boys that it would be a bad idea to throw Derek in jail.

"Scott, this is a really bad idea! If he catches us, we will be killed. Do you hear me?" called Jean with evident panic in her voice.

"Then we won't get caught," replied Scott casually.

"But you don't know what he's capable of! He is more experienced at being a werewolf than you are, and let's be honest, we're just teenagers!" Jean ranted without backing down.

Scott is as committed to disproving Derek as she is to proving her point of argument. She has no doubt that his irrational ego overlooks all reason.

It was inevitable that two individuals would win against one rational person. It didn't take long for them all to pack into Stiles' Jeep and start stalking Derek's property, waiting for the perfect moment to execute their scheme.

Nightfall arrives quickly, like a hurricane. As Derek made his way out of the remains of the Hale House and toward his Camaro, Scott and Stiles watched him like hawks. When the engine roared and he drove off, dumb and dumber hurriedly exited the Jeep while Jean assessed the situation. She thought it best to stay in the car for a little while longer in case Derek returned, and surprised them all like the idiots they were.

When five minutes passed and it didn't seem like Derek was going to come back, Jean joined the two idiots and walked towards the side of the house where the recently overturned patch of grass was located.

"Something's different," Scott muttered, his voice tight.

Jean's heart skipped a beat. "Different how?"

That was the first sign that this was a horrible plan. Jean and Stiles exchanged a nervous glance. If something went wrong, she laid the entire blame on the two gullible boys.

"I don't know..." His voice trailed off as he scanned the area, the shadows closing in around them.

The chilly air didn't help either. The cold and uneasiness caused Jean's skin to tighten up, resulting in the appearance of tiny bumps all over her arms.

Once they reached the suspected gravesite, Scott aimed his shovel at the dirt and shrugged. "Let's just get this over with."

Jean waited on the sidelines and observed the two boys digging up the grave for a few minutes in silence. Eventually, Scott, looking nervous, wiped his forehead with his sleeve and whispered, "This is taking way too long."

Stiles grumbled sarcastically, "Yeah, a little help, Jean?"

"Absolutely, no."

She won't compromise on her clothes, especially considering this is their own doing. They will pay the price because it was they who wanted to execute this foolish plan.

"Just keep going," muttered Stiles angrily.

Nervously, Scott asked, "What if he comes back?"

Jean laughed out loud. "So now you're worried?"

Stiles barked, "Shut up, Jean!"

Exasperated, Scott repeated his question, "Stiles, what if he comes back?"

"Then we get the hell out of here," Stiles answered calmly.

It was obvious that Scott's nerve is still shot up with fear, which furthers his inquiries, "What if he catches us?"

"I have a plan for that."

To borrow a phrase from the British, Jean simply knew that any idea of Stiles would be completely bonkers. Anything that Stiles creates is pure garbage and a catastrophe waiting to happen. At best, an untrustworthy scheme.

Scott requested more explanation from Stiles, "...Which is?"

Stiles had taken a little break from digging to gather his breath while he told Scott his strategy, "You run one way. I run the other. Whoever he catches first? Too bad."

"Wow, brilliant idea, Stiles! You are so smart," Jean shot back.

Stiles shrugs at Jean's apparent display of sarcasm, as if it were no big deal, and gets back to digging. Scott let out a worried sigh and muttered, "I hate that plan." Before returning to work as well.

Soon enough, they actually found something, which surprised Jean. All three of them look down. It was revealed that there are several twine rope strings poking out of the dirt. The boys kneel down and brush the dirt away with their bare hands as quickly as they can, while Jean watches it all unfold with full concentration.

They discovered what looked like a bundle of some sort of fabric that had been tied closed with the twine rope. Naturally, Stiles starts to try to untie the bindings, but before he could finish untying, Jean yelled, "Stop!"

Knees deep in the dirt, the boys peered up to Jean, waiting for further explanation as to why they should stop. "What if it's dangerous? I mean, seriously, have you guys not learned from every horror movie you watch?"

They had no idea if it was Pandora's box or a malicious spirit desperate to be set free. They could die and ruin the entire world—no big deal, right?

Afraid that Derek would come back soon, Scott nudged Stiles' hand, a sign that he wished to unwrap the bundle anyway. Jean just grumbled, "Whatever, if we all die, I'm blaming it all on you two."

"Hurry!" urged Scott. He's twitching, glancing back constantly to make sure Derek isn't about to bust them.

Irritated by Scott's constant demands, Stiles snapped, "I'm trying. Did he have to tie the thing in, like, nine hundred knots?"

When Scott couldn't take it anymore with the suspense of waiting, he took over and helped Stiles untie the other end of the bundle. After a few more restless minutes, the two finally manage to get it all unknotted. Once the bundle was opened, it revealed what looked like the severed head of a black wolf.

"That thing better not be contagious," Jean remarked with caution.

Stiles quaked in recoil. "What the hell is that?"

Jean scoffed as Scott stated, "It's a wolf," pointing out the obvious. As if anyone is blind to the fact that it is a wolf's severed head.

"Yeah, I can see that. I thought you said you smelled blood, as in human blood?" quipped Stiles, and an obvious wave of annoyance rattled the air.

Scott just shrugs, not knowing how to answer that. Jean would like to point out, casually, that this is the type of thing she meant when she said they're all just teenagers who don't know anything.

He mumbled softly, "I told you something was different..."

Completely dumbfounded by this finding, Stiles threw his hands in disbelief. "This doesn't make sense."

Seeing the clock on her cellphone, Jean suggested, "We should get out of here."

They have reached the conclusion of their scheme, and it would be wise to leave now before Derek actually comes back and mauls them into oblivion.

The boys both nod in agreement and move up onto their feet in a crouching position. Stiles conceded with reluctance, straining his voice, "Yeah. Okay, help me cover this up."

Clearly, Stiles was feeling dissatisfied right now. Jean was certain Stiles thought it was Jane Doe's half-dead body at the morgue. She's not surprised, though; Derek doesn't look like the dumb serial killer who keeps his victim's body on his own property.

Stiles begins to use his hands to push the dirt back into the grave, and Scott follows suit. All of a sudden, Stiles notices the purple flower in the dirt near the dead wolf body and halts his actions.

Jean can see the change in Stiles' demeanor when he sees that flower, as if he knows what that flower is. She gulped, "What's wrong?"

If Jean's worst scenario comes true, she will murder Scott and Stiles. She has been inhaling the air around that flower for a while; it better not be poisonous or lethal. She would like not to perish as a result of a flower.

Stiles pointed out to Scott, "You see that flower?"

Scott's forehead begins to furrow, giving off the impression that he has no freaking idea what is going on. "What about it?"

Stiles moved in closer to examine the flower in question before stating, "I think it's wolfsbane."

"What's that?" Both Jean and Scott cluelessly asked. Although Jean didn't know what the flower was capable of, she did feel as though she had heard of it before.

A loud scoff could be heard coming from Stiles. "Uh... haven't you ever seen The Wolf Man?" teased Stiles shamelessly towards them.

Though Jean isn't quite as passionate about movies as Stiles is, even if she were, she most likely would watch entirely different kinds of films than what he teased.

Scott shifted his weight and answered, "No?"

"Lon Chaney, Junior? Claude Rains?"

"The answer is still no, Stiles," sighed Jean. Listing the whole cast of the movie won't help either of them remember the movie they never watched. It's completely pointless.

Aggravated by the lack of knowledge on Jean and Scott's part, Stiles added more information regarding the movie, "The original, classic Werewolf movie?"

Jean let out a grunt, saying, "Just get to the point!" She was sick of Stiles trying to convince them that they knew the movie when they clearly didn't.

He shook his head furiously, appalled at the revelation that he's the only one who knows about the movie. "You guys are so unprepared for this."

Stiles gets up and sprints towards the flower, yanking the entire flower up by its roots. He gapes in shock at discovering that another twine rope, which is hidden underground, is knotted to the base of the plant.

Pulling the rope gently up, he discovers that it is hooked to the bundle of cloth around the wolf's head. The rope is buried around the grave in a spiral pattern that glows red when Stiles unravels it. Wolfsbane petals have been randomly put along the rope's length.

They both look at Stiles with a skeptical expression, confused as to why they're wasting their time with this when it's more important for them to ditch the scene right away before Derek catches them. Suddenly, he looks down and is startled back to his feet by what he finds in the grave.

As soon as Jean realized what was in the grave, she immediately retreated. Instead of being the head of a dead wolf, it was something else. The half-dead body of Jane Doe was the one looking back at them. How could this be possible?

"Guys... Let's go!" Jean begged shamelessly. This is getting way too freaky for Jean's liking.

That was the moment Stiles and Scott noticed that something was wrong. Jean's line of sight is cursed because she can directly see the human remains while Scott and Stiles are still in the unknown. Stiles yelps and jumps back a step, grabbing Scott's shoulder with his left hand to steady himself the moment his brain processes the view of a half-dead body in front of him.

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⌦ .｡.:*♡ Side note!

Hello! I was inspired to write back again since my uni break is soon-to-be over :"(((. I hope you like this chapter, and I'm currently writing chapter 6 as I speak here. Hopefully, I'll be able to stock up on some chapters, so when I get busy with uni, I can just update my drafts.

If you don't know, I recently made the decision to recast Jean (my oc), so if you see some new graphics with a different face on them, that's the explanation.

Have a nice day y'all! I'll see you guys again, hopefully sooner than the last time.