chapter twelve, WINE

☾ ☾●☽ ☽

Noah Hall

The rain pours down my face as Kira and I run towards the field, the night sky paired with the dark clouds has left us almost no light to see where we're going.

We finally get to the field and Kira holds her sword in front of us. I see Brett and Lori and run towards them. I stand in front of them as Kira smashes the incoming arrows into pieces.

"We need to get them out of here" I yell.
     "There's too many" Brett explains. "Don't worry guys. We'll get you out of here" I say.

"Run, I'll hold them off" Kira states. "I'm not leaving you Kira." I yell. I turn my head to Brett and Lori and hold out my keys. "My car is only a little further out of the woods, go to it, go to Deaton. At the animal clinic." I state firmly. They both nod and run out towards the woods.

I turn back to the assassins and flare out my claws.
   Kira and I rush towards them with full force. I push one down the the ground and leap over another.

I whip my head around and see someone coming towards Kira from behind. "Watch out!" I yell. She turns around and right as she does someone grabs me by the neck.

I fall to the ground and my head smacks against the cement that surrounds the field. I groan in pain and the smell of blood rushes to my nose.

I see Kira jump over me and the man above me flies backwards.

Kira holds her hand out to me and pulls me up. As I stand up a fist lunges towards my face and hits right above my eyes.

I hit back and Kira and I run off the field. We head towards the forest and leave as soon as possible.
   As we run I quickly glance down at my phone and look up at Kira "Meredith is alive." I exclaim.

"What?" Kira asks. "Lydia said she'd explain later"

We get to Kira's car and jump in. She quickly starts the car and we drive out of the woods.

  We make our way to the animal clinic and most of the ride is silent as we catch our breaths. After awhile we finally pull up to the clinic and see my car in the parking lot. We jump out, Kira grabs her sword and we head inside.

We go to the back and see Deaton helping patch up Lori, while Brett is standing with Satomi.
  All the other supernatural creatures Kira's been helping save these past few days are in the room as well.

"You guys made it here safely?" I ask the two. Lori nods and Brett stays silent.

The front door opens behind us and Kira sprints out of the room. I follow her to make sure it's safe and sigh in relief when I see her jump into Scott's arms.

They pull away from their kiss and Scott looks at me. "I took Liam home, he's safe." He explains softly. I nod with a small smile and head back into the room.

Scott and Kira join us shortly after their reunion and stand next to me.
   "Satomi. This is who I was telling you about" Kira says to the older woman. Satomi turns and looks Scott up and down. "I know who Scott McCall is." She says strongly. "I know who you are too" She says and looks at me.
   I furrow my brows and slowly nod.

"Are we safe here?" Lori asks Scott. Scott looks around the room, at everyone who's here and he sighs. He turns to Kira and I and nods "we're gonna need help"

I nod in agreement and grab my phone.

☾ ☾●☽ ☽

I run into the station and turn my head towards the sheriffs office. I see Lydia talking to Meredith and sigh in relief when I see she's okay.

"Hey, Noah," Perish says to me. I turn my head and look at him. "Hey Perish, you okay?" I ask he nods.
   "What's going on in there?" I wonder and look through the glass of the office.

"She isn't talking, she said she'd talk to one person though. I just called him." He explains to me. I turn my head back to him and furrow my brows "who?" I ask.

"You called?" I hear from behind me. I turn my head and see Peter Hale standing in the doorway. I roll my eyes and turn back to Perish. "Really?" I groan.

Peter walks up to me and looks me up and down "Noah." He says softly with a grin. "Why would Meredith want to talk to you?" I spit angrily. "That's what I'd like to know" Peter says and looks up at Perish.

Peter has been in my life for...well my entire life. He's my godfather, not my choice might I add. That's all my fathers doing. I choose to invite that fact and choose to ignore him.

"Follow me." Perish says to us.
   He takes us to a back room, used for interrogation and shortly after we get inside, Meredith, Lydia and Stilinski walk in.

"This...is the girl that stole my money?" Peter asks as Meredith sits across from him. "This girl, is a banshee" Lydia glares. Peter rolls his eyes and crosses his legs.

He stares at Meredith and she looks down at her lap. "Okay, Meredith. Where's my money?" He asks. Meredith looks at him with a confused expression and tilts her head. "Or what's left of it" he corrects.

She slowly tilts her head further to the right and reaches her hand out towards his face. She slides her fingers against his cheek and he stares in shock. He quickly grabs her wrist making us all jump.

Perish holds his gun in his hands and glares at Peter. "Let. Her. Go." Perish warns. After a moment Peter finally let's go of her and we all relax.

"Why did you do that?" Peter asks her. "They're all gone." She whispers.
   I turn to Lydia and furrow my brows. Her eyes are wide and we both turn back to the two in front of us.
They have met before. Way before.

"The burns...they're all gone" Meredith adds.

  "What are you talking about?" Peter snaps. "Can you just tell me where my money is?" He adds quickly. "Or at least tell me why you put those people on that list?" He asks.

Meredith says nothing. Peter groans and leans closer to her. "Meredith you put everyone on that list, including my nephew, my daughter and my god daughter...on a death list. Don't you think you owe us an explanation." He states firmly.

"You said it had to be kept a secret" Meredith whispers. Peter rolls his eyes and leans back in his chair. "I said?" Peter laughs. "I said that to you?"
  "You said it." Meredith claims.

"Meredith. We have never met." He states firmly.
    "Ever." He says and slowly stands up. "You don't remember?" She asks. "No. But maybe you do." He says darkly and lunges towards her.

"No!" Lydia and I scream in unison. Stilinski and Perish reach for them but Lydia and I stop them. Peter places his claws in her neck and both their eyes shut.

"If you move them, they both could die." I state firmly.
    I groan and slap my forehead. This is exactly what we needed. I feel my phone buzz in my pocket and I grab it. I see Scott sent an sos message to me and sigh.

"Hey do you hear that?" Perish asks. We all turn to him and he leans closer to Meredith. "She's whispering something" I say.

"I can't make it out." I state. "I can hear her perfectly." Lydia expresses. She leans closer and nods "She's talking about being the hospital with him. When he was in a coma. She was with him just in his head, for weeks. Maybe even months." She explains.

"He was angry. Making plans" Lydia mumbles.

I furrow my brows and cross my arms. "What kind of plans?" I ask. "To get revenge" She says firmly. "Revenge on the supernatural."

Peter separates from Meredith and falls backwards on the ground. Lydia rushes towards Meredith and Stilinski holds his gun at Peter.

"It was your god damn idea and you don't even remember." I spit and lean towards him. "Everyone just...just stay calm" he pleads.

I groan in annoyance and step away from him. Looking at him is making me physically ill. Since his time using Lydia I have never seemed to forgive him for it. This is only adding to the many reasons I hate him.

"How the hell was I supposed to remember all of that?" He spits and stands up. "She got it from you" I yell.

"I was out of my mind. Almost burned alive. I lost almost my entire family. Who told her to listen to me? Do you know what it's like being in a coma?" He yells at us.

"She was listening to you." Perish snaps. "She was listening to a ranting of a raving lunatic." He yells. "A former lunatic. I'm much healthier now." He adds and places his hand over his heart.

I roll my eyes and grab Perishes gun. I point it right at Peters head and look him up and down. "Don't lie. Don't you fucking lie." I spit.

"I had nothing to do with this." He states. Perish stands next to me and holds his hand out in front of him, motioning for me to go easy.

"How do we know there isn't more to the list Peter. How can we trust your word." I ask firmly.

"Come on? Stealing my own money? I was more mad about it than anyone. Killing my own nephew and my daughter? You, my god daughter. Are you kidding?" He snaps.

"Stop. Stop..." Lydia pleads "this is what she wants. It's why she's here. Look around Noah. Four people in here are still on that list." Lydia explains

"Lydia is right. We don't want to kill each other." He states. I lower Perishes gun and Stilinski puts his on Peters head.

I hand the gun back to Perish and the Sheriff clenches his jaw. "The only one I'm pointing a gun at is you."
   "Then you better make it a perfect shot, Sheriff." He grins. 

"Peter shut the hell up" I spit. I turn to Stilinski and sigh, "Lydia's right. It's what she wants." I tell him.

"I don't go down easy Sheriff" Peter adds. "I bet a bullet through the eyes won't heal all that well. Even for you and your kind." The sheriff states coldly.

I furrow my brows and slowly step back from what I fear might turn into something ugly. "What are you gonna charge me with Sheriff?" Peter asks.
   "How are you going to explain this to a judge?" He laughs.

"Enough." I yell.

Both of them stop and Peter looks over at me.

"Let him go." I tell Stilinski. "You have to." Lydia adds. "I'd take their word for it Sheriff." Peter smiles.
"I leave, no triggers pulled. No bloodshed." Peter says to Lydia and I.

The sheriff groans and shakes his head, he pulls the gun away from Peters head and looks him up and down. "This is twice now, you won't be leaving alive for the third." Stilinski snaps.

"Until then Sheriff" Peter says with a nod and walks towards the door. He turns back and looks at me with a grin. "You should have a chat with your mother." He whispers and leaves.

Meredith sits up and tries to run after him, but Perish grabs her. "No! It's not finished. No!" She yells.

Lydia and I walk out of the room and Lydia's phone starts to ring and she answers it. She slowly looks up at me and I furrow my brows. "What?" I ask.

"Video call me" Lydia states.
    She moves the phone from her ear and I follow her out of the station.
"Show me the machine" She states. I look at her phone and Stiles shows us whatever it is they found.

"This was in the lake house?" Lydia asks. "Yea in the weird room. Behind the wall" Malia states.
   Wow, they're together in the same room this is new.

"There's got to be a way to turn it off right?" Stiles asks. "I don't know. I don't know anything about computers from the 70s" Lydia states.

"Hey, it looks like it has a key" I state. I see Stiles look up and he nods. "Yea the one in the middle has a keyhole." He states.

"Where's the monitor?" Lydia asks. "Lydia there no mintier. Just buttons. Keyholes and spinning things." He states and moves frantically around the room.

"Hey wait, turn around. Show me the floor." Lydia says. "What?" He asks. "The floor, just show me." She states.

He turns the camera and shows us the floor. I look between the floor and Lydia with a confused expression and wait for her to elaborate.

"Where's the stain?" She asks. "What stain?" I wonder. "I spilt wine on the carpet." She whispers to herself.

"What are you talking about Lydia?" I ask her. "I spilt wine, the night of the party." She repeats. "There's no wine." Stiles states.

"That doesn't make any sense" She mumbles. "Lydia what the hell does wine have to do with anything?" Stiles exclaims. "Red wine doesn't just go away" She snaps.

"Yea especially on carpets like that, but what's does that have to do with the computers?" I add.

"That ashes weren't ashes, the study isn't just a study, so the wine..." she starts "isn't just wine" I finish. She nods in agreement. "Stiles check the wine!" She instructs.

"There could be something in it" She explains further and starts to pace in front of me and her car.
  "What kind? What's it called?" Stiles asks. "It's a 1982 Côtes du Rhône" She answers.

Stiles quickly ends the call and Lydia and I wait patiently next to her car.

"I really hope they figure this out" Lydia breaths. I silently nod and look down at the pavement. Lydia stops in front of me and looks me up and down. "Is everything okay?" She asks. I slowly look up at her and nod.

"Just tired..." I answer. That's recently been my excuse when people ask me that. It's not entirely a lie, with everything going on lately I'm hardly ever sleeping. She nods and she leans against her car next to me.

"I have a bad feeling" She whispers to me. I snap my head to her and worry washes over me. "That's not good...what kind of bad feeling?" I ask. She tilts her head knowingly and sighs "the death kind"

Lydia's phone starts to buzz and we both jump. It's Stiles so she quickly answers.

"Good news?" She asks.

"We did it, we stopped it." Stiles breaths. I sigh in relief and laugh as I slide down her car. "We fucking did it. Holy shit. Good job Malia and Stiles" I state loudly.

I sit up and hug Lydia tightly. She hugs me back and we both laugh happily. I go to text Scott back and he texts first.

'Everything's good!' He sent.
'That's a relief' I send back.

We get inside Lydia's car and drive towards Argents warehouse.

I quickly grab my phone from my pocket and call my mom. The phone rings for awhile and she finally answers.

"Noah?" I hear her from the other line.
    "Mom, it's over. No more dead pool." I say happily. "Are you okay?" She asks. "I'm okay mom. We're all okay"

What should feel like a hard victory, honestly feels like a slight one. The end of an era feels unfinished.
  So many people died, and yet it feels like more will.

Will things ever just be normal in this fucking town?

☾ ☾●☽ ☽

I walk up to my door and sigh as my body starts to feel tired. I look down at my keys and find my front door key. I look up and see Liam standing next to my door and he smiles when he sees me.

"Liam?" I ask with furrowed brows and walk towards him. He jumps off my porch and pulls me in for a hug. "You're ok!" He breaths. I nod and hug him back. "I'm ok." I state.

"So it's really over?" He asks as we pull away. I nod with a happy smile and we walk into my house.

"I'm sorry I wasn't with Scott tonight, I just-" he starts but pauses. I turn to him and wave my hand towards him. "You don't have to explain Liam. Really, I'm just relieved you are safe..." I say.

I pause and blink then slightly shake my head. "And I'm glad everyone else is safe too" I say and sit on my couch.

He sits next to me and we remain silent for awhile. I hear him sigh and I turn to him.

"Is it always like this?" He asks softly. "Like what?" I say with a confused expression. "Crazy, in this town? Death...all that?" He explains.

I look down at my lap sadly and slowly nod. "We've lost so many people, and so much has happened that I think I'll be traumatized for the rest of my life." I explain.

He slowly nods and I turn my body to him. "But Liam, as much as it sucks, and as scary as it is. You were chosen, it could have been anyone else. Yes you personally didn't get a choice for the bite, but the supernatural world chose you. That means something" I state. He slowly nods.

"I guess..." he whispers. "But what if I'm not a good wolf? What if I screw up?" He wonders. I laugh and shake my head. I place my hand over his and he looks at our hands.

"Liam, everyone screws up. All the time. And you're already an amazing beta. Don't doubt yourself" I say firmly.