For minutes following the not-so-surprising revelation of Rachel's remaining sanity level, she'd been searching for a way to ditch Isaac. It's not that she didn't want to stand out in the woods, with various flies buzzing round her head, chatting about random things with him-- actually, that's exactly it. Maybe if the flies weren't there, she could've tolerated him- but not with a freaking swarm surrounding her, more than likely due to the flowery perfume she insisted on wearing.

Although (not so) luckily for her, just as she was about to retrieve the blow torch from the garage to take care of the flies, a high pitched scream cut through the placid afternoon air like a knife. Rachel's initial hope was that it'd been Derek, (for the simple fact that she never heard him actually scream before, and she'd more than likely die of laughter then & there) but after a moment of consideration she'd easily realized there was absolutely no possibility of that.

Needless to say, she'd rushed into the warehouse to find Erica convulsing as though she was having a seizure, along with Stiles, Scott & Derek trying to hold her steady. A part of Rachel didn't even want to know what had happened, yet she still found herself questioning each & every event that led up to it as she assisted in holding the blonde still.

Apparently the Kanima (Jackass Whittemore) had decided to make a guest appearance in detention, (which everyone except Rachel & Isaac had been in, courtesy of Scott beating the shit out of Jackson, who got a little too close to Allison in the locker room. It was a seemingly never ending series of very unfortunate, and very confusing events) not only to wreak havoc, but to deliver a threat from it's controller. Following that revelation, Rachel was almost glad to have spent the first half of her day arguing with Derek & tolerating an extraordinarily annoying teen wolf. Especially whereas Kanima venom burned her like acid, and she did not want to relive that experience.

But regardless of that; Erica was still the topic of interest. Derek had ended up breaking the blonde's arm in order to trigger the healing process, then proceeded to drain the Kanima venom out. As much as Rachel liked seeing Erica in pain; she had to admit, she did feel a tad bit of sympathy for the blonde. Not enough to ask if she was alright, once she awoke, (Rachel couldn't allow Erica to know she actually gave a shit about her, or any of Derek's pack) though.

It was a very eventful day, to say the least; and Rachel hadn't even been there for the particularly supernatural events. In fact, she was so completely & utterly done with the Kanima & it's master; she'd gone up to her room shortly after Stiles left the warehouse, leaving the strict instructions "wake me when you've got a plan that won't get us all killed" for Derek to follow.

As usual, he ignored her.

Never failing to live up to expectations, Derek had awoken her at six a.m for school. But just because he woke her, didn't mean Rachel got off the outrageously uncomfortable makeshift bed. The fold-out couch with an old mattress thrown on top was her last choice, but it was either that; or a booth in the train car. At least this way, she had her own room upstairs: far away from both Derek & Isaac.

After the first few nights, she figured out a way to pile all the blankets beneath her to avoid having a broken spring stab her in the middle of the night- and while the scent wasn't the best, the old ratty quilt became surprisingly comfortable after laying on them for ten hours straight. The only downside was how cold the room got at night- and laying on top of the only blankets she had didn't help very much. Still, Rachel was certain she had the best sleeping arrangement in the building.

Still, the fact that Rachel was comfortable for the first time in forever wasn't going to stop Derek from dragging her off the ratty old mattress by her ankles, nor was it going to stop her from kicking him where the sun doesn't shine. If he expected her to help them prevent a homicidal reptilian teenager from murdering the entire town, she needed her beauty sleep- and Rachel was positive she looked anything but beautiful with hair like a rat's nest, and darkness underlining her eyes.

Sadly, after her painful encounter tiled flooring of her makeshift bedroom, sleep was not an option. A migraine was aching lowly in the front of her skull, intensifying with each second she had to listen to Derek yelling at her for what was now a relatively long list of reasons. Her bullshit tolerance had deceased at the five minute mark, leading the brunette to lazily climb up from the floor & proceed to dig through her suitcase for a decent outfit for the day.

Derek had left the room the moment she was back up; likely under suspicion that she was looking for another fight (which she wasn't). But Rachel wasn't about to call him back just for that little bit of information. Instead, she'd continued her search through the pile of clothes forming on the floor as she tossed items out of her bag. Eventually, Rachel settled on a ripped pair of light wash jean shorts (because dressing like Erica for a day had brought her to the realization that she had amazing legs) & a plaid flannel shirt, with a pair of plain black converse rather than her usual heels.

Rachel had a feeling if they were going Kanima hunting after school, it was in her best interest to wear something she could run in.

As always, she'd grabbed one of her many leather jackets on the way downstairs, hurriedly tugging it on as she speed walked outside to the Camaro; where she was forced to take the back seat for once. Despite always having shotgun, it apparently became meaningless if Isaac made it to the vehicle before her. Even though he didn't have to take twenty minutes to apply makeup, and style hair; Rachel had chosen not to argue, as it was evidently useless.

Once they'd arrived at school, the day had passed with surprising speed, and before she knew it she was back out in the parking lot with Isaac, arguing over who got the front seat. In the end, Rachel won (only after Derek had threatened both of their lives if they didn't get in the damn Camaro) & to emphasize her victory, chose to play the stereo as loud as it could possibly go.

Since her array of CDs had mysterious vanished, she'd been forced to play the radio; but to her surprise, it'd ended up being a song with a particularly loud beat; one of which she knew Derek hated. Isaac probably had an opinion, too; but Rachel couldn't hear it over the sweet sound of deafening electronic music. Only when the car halted in the parking lot of Beacon Hills' one & only animal clinic, did Rachel finally turn off the noise (and proceed to shoot countless questions at the two werewolves who'd failed to inform her of their stop).

Neither had answered, instead just opting to allow her to follow along into the clinic, blissfully unaware of the plotting that'd gone on behind her back. Unbeknownst to Rachel, (and Isaac) Scott & Derek had declared a cease-fire after the latest Kanima incident; seeing as how the two were unable to defeat the creature on their own, they were now meeting at a neutral location (the animal clinic) to discuss a plan of action with the one person who seemed to know more than any of them; the veterinarian himself.

"Are either of you going to tell me what we're doing here?" Rachel snapped, jogging to catch up with the two werewolves in front of her as they stopped in front of the clinic's front door. "Last time we saw Scott's boss, you kidnapped him. I highly doubt he wants to see us again."

"A lot's changed since then." Derek stated, stepping forward into the veterinary clinic as Scott unlocked & opened the door.

Not a second after they'd set foot inside, Scott was quick to notice three people rather than the two he'd been expecting. "What's he doing here?"

"I need him."

"What? Why?" Rachel furrowed her brows, earning a questionable look from Isaac. Even if they were in the midst of a fight, Rachel was still there & willing to fight- Derek didn't need to put another life at risk by dragging Isaac into the problem.

"I don't trust him." Scott deadpanned, his glare moving from Derek to the aforementioned teen wolf.

"Yeah, well, he doesn't trust you either." Isaac scoffed.

"Rachel doesn't trust any of you." The brunette cut in, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. She still had yet to figure out exactly why they were talking in the third person, or why she'd gone along with it.

"You know what? Derek really doesn't care." Derek grumbled, growing annoyed as his eyes scanned around the room, finding it void of the person they were there to meet with. "Now, where's the vet? Is he gonna help us or not?"

"That depends." A voice cut in before anyone else had the chance. Deaton stepped into the room, instantly gaining the attention of the group that'd gathered in the waiting room. "Your friend Jackson, are we planning to kill him or save him?"

"Kill him." Derek responded, ironically at the exact same time Scott announced, "Save him."

Scott turned to glare at the alpha, stating firmly, "Save him."

"We're saving him." Rachel nodded, her tone as emotionless as possible. As much as a small part of her wanted to repeatedly punch Derek for suggesting they kill Jackson, (especially since his death would technically be entirely her fault) she knew he was only doing what he thought would save more lives in the long run. That's all Derek has ever been doing- even if his methods were destructive & unorthodox.

Deaton nodded, opening the gate & leading them into the back room. As the four supernaturals circled around the table, the veterinarian set out a tray of various bottles containing god knows what, before turning back to the counter for a moment. Being the curious former human, Isaac reached to pick up one of thebottles before Derek grabbed his wrist. "Watch what you touch."

Isaac ignored him, instead choosing to chuckle quietly at Derek's aggressive mood. As Deaton returned to the table with a few other things in hand, the teen wolf decided to bluntly question his choice of occupation. "So, what are you? Some kind of witch?"

"Seriously?" Rachel muttered, shaking her head disapprovingly. She couldn't help but think back to when he'd questioned what she was, straightforward without a filter. Clearly Derek had failed to inform Isaac that he couldn't just go around asking people what they were- not unless he wanted to become the new town lunatic alongside Lydia.

"No, I'm a veterinarian." Deaton answered calmly, almost as though he was expecting at least one of them to ask. The vet continued his search through the array of bottles, before exhaling in disappointment. "Unfortunately, I don't see anything here that's going to be an effective defence against a paralytic toxin.

"We're open to suggestions."

"What about an effective offence?" Isaac suggested, glancing around only to see Derek shaking his head.

"We already tried." He informed, leaning on the metal table. "I nearly took it's head off, and Argent emptied an entire clip into it. The thing just gets back up."

"Wait." Rachel mumbled, holding her hand up to silence him as her mind raced with an idea. It was completely & utterly insane, but if executed correctly it could very well work. "You haven't tried fighting fire with fire."

"Absolutely not." Derek snapped, before anyone had the chance to question her plan. Without another word, he knew exactly what she was thinking of doing; and he knew the consequences. It didn't take a rocket scientist to decipher the determination laced in her voice, and with that came the intention of doing something that had a greater risk than reward.

"You said you were open to suggestions."

"Not the kind of suggestion that'll get you killed."

"If it means ending this without anymore casualties, I'm not afraid to make sacrifices."

"I don't think that'll be necessary." Deaton interrupted their argument, following along with another question. "Has it shown any weaknesses?

"Well, one- it can't swim."

"Does that go for Jackson as well?"

"No." Scott shook his head, recalling one of the teen's many high school achievements. "He's the captain of the swim team."

"Essentially, you're trying to catch two people." Deaton explained, turning back to the counter. He searched through a drawer, before retrieving a small silver medallion & placing it in the silver table. "A puppet, and a puppeteer. One killed the husband, but the other had to take care of the wife. Do we know why?"

"I don't think Jackson could do it." Scott answered, a hint of sadness in his tone as he continued. "His mother died pregnant, too, and she was maybe murdered. I think he couldn't let the same thing happen to someone else."

"How do you know it's not part of the rules? The Kanima kills murderers" Isaac cut in, glancing around the group to see if anyone agreed. "If Jackson kills the wife, then the baby dies, too."

"Does that mean your father was a murderer?" Rachel asked cautiously, still feeling as though the topic was far too sensitive to be brought up with such casualty. She regretted the question as soon as the words fell from her lips, but it was too late to reconsider.

"Wouldn't surprise me if he was." The teen wolf shrugged, seemingly unbothered by the topic of his deceased father.

"Hold on. The book says they're bonded, right? What if the fear of water isn't coming from Jackson, but from the person controlling him? What if something that affects the Kanima-" Deaton paused, pouring a circle of mountain ash around the silver pendant. "-also affects it's master."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning we can catch them." Scott declared, a sense of determination in his voice. "Both of them."

⠀⠀⠀⠀↻

The next day of school (see: hell) seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.

One second, Rachel was listening to Stiles tell Matt how little he cared about the concussion Matt had supposedly received in the Kanima's latest appearance; the next, she was impatiently waiting for her third least favourite person (the first two being Peter & Gerard) in the world, Erica, to get her a ticket to the rave; which they'd not-so-intelligently chosen as the time & place to execute their Kanima catching plan.

The blonde had concocted a not-so-intelligent plan of her own, one of which involved her slutting it up in the locker room with a senior, whilst Rachel stood outside & ensured no teacher happened to walk in on them. To say she felt like the most awkward third-wheel on the face of the Earth was a treacherous understatement; especially whereas a part of her actually wanted them to get caught. Even if she was getting desperate for a ticket into the rave, Rachel was more than sure she could find her own way in if it meant getting to laugh at Erica's walk of shame to the principal's office.

But that ship sailed as soon as the teen wolf had exited the locker room, a smirk on her face as she fixed her lipstick. Much to the surprise & dismay of Rachel, Erica's plan had actually worked, as if some higher power completely forbade even a hint of humour in the reflector's day. She could all but manage to comprehend the situation whilst she stood there, her mouth slightly agape, as the blonde proceeded to hand her a ticket to the rave, before walking off.

Not long after that, Rachel had then found herself back at the warehouse, unwillingly choosing an outfit for the night. At least, that's what she told Derek & Isaac so they'd leave her alone until it was time to go. In actuality, Rachel had no intentions of changing from her casual, comfortable school attire for a lame party; especially not one that she'd likely be running for her life from. She wasn't about to make the same mistake she'd made at the formal.

"Rachel?" A voice sounded from the opposite side of her door, instantly bring the brunette out of her mental recap of the day. "How long does it take to change? Hurry up, or we're leaving you."

Rachel groaned, falling back on her bed tiredly; a part of her wanted them to leave her behind. She was hoping that since Derek was the driver, he would've already left, but that thought was clearly impossible if he'd sent Isaac upstairs to get her. The sound of a door handle turning soon peaked her senses, instantly triggering Rachel to shout out the first excuse that came to mind. "I'm not dressed!"

But to her dismay, the door still opened.

"That was disappointing." Isaac faked a frown, wanting to laugh at Rachel's look of rage. He knew she was lying less than a millisecond after she'd spoken; he heard the faint skip of her heartbeat. Contrary to her belief, he wasn't that much of a douche.

"Get out." She hissed, her eyes narrowing into slits as she grabbed a pillow from her makeshift bed & threw it at him.

As expected, the teen wolf caught it with ease & tossed it back on her bed. "Not unless you come with me."

"Get out." Rachel repeated, reaching for the pillow once more. She could stand around & repeat herself for hours, especially if it meant not having to go to the rave. Stiles & Scott had managed to catch Jackson without her once; couldn't they do it again? A distinctive no stuck in her mind like glue, and although a part of her wanted to have faith in her friends, she knew that for once, they truly did need her. "I'll be downstairs in five minutes- just go."

"You think I'm falling for that?" Isaac chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm not leaving until you do."

"You can either get out, or I can throw you out." She threatened, standing her ground. Rachel knew for a fact that she couldn't throw him- he was practically a giant. She could, however, start a fight; in turn, getting Derek's attention so he could throw Isaac. Her logic was ingenious, but time consuming, and she knew eventually she'd have to leave if she wanted to follow through on helping the two people she considered to be her friends.

The idea was quickly scrapped & shoved to the back of her mind for a later date as she pushed past him, grabbing her leather jacket from it's hook near the door. She lazily shrugged it on, fixing her hair quickly as she passed by an old, dust-coated mirror & through the doorway. Rachel turned back, tilting her head to the side slightly as she glanced in confusion at the teen wolf who had yet to follow. "Why aren't you moving?"

"I'm waiting for you to throw me out." Isaac answered, a smirk on his face. He knew her threat hadn't been a legitimate one, but the flicker of rage in her eyes each time he responded with sarcasm or wit was too humorous to pass up.

Rachel sighed loudly, walking back in the room with a better idea. She may not have been able to actually throw him out, but she could (in theory) push him. Although, after a minute of failed attempt, she was beginning to feel more like she was an animated character, casted one of those pathetically unfunny short clips played during the commercials of cable tv as she repeatedly attempted to push Isaac out of her room, whilst he stood there like a statue. "What the hell do you weigh?"

Isaac shrugged, laughing softly at her failed attempts. Though he wouldn't admit it, a part of him almost found it cute; her determination, the way she'd pause for a second & shake her head to get her bangs out of her eyes, and the proceed to shoot a quick glare before resuming her attempts.

Almost.

Rachel, on the other hand, was a fiery ball of rage. She saw nothing cute about the situation whatsoever, and was beginning to contemplate the idea of killing him; because at least then, she could drag his dead body the hell out of her room. They didn't have time to stand around & act like children, especially not when lives were at stake.

With that last thought in mind, Rachel made one last attempt at shoving Isaac out the door; and to her shock, she succeeded. He'd been momentarily distracted in a mental debate regarding the aforementioned subject where he may or may not have actually found her cute for s split second in time. Both of them went crashing into the hallway, landing on the old floor with a loud bang & array of creaks following shortly after.

"This-" Rachel groaned, propping herself up on her elbows as she glanced towards Isaac beside her. "-is why people send their dogs to obedience classes."

⠀⠀⠀⠀↻

UNEDITED. lmfao so this was mainly a filler but to make up for the boredom i added that last part with a dog joke bc why not??

and ok ok i know i was talking about a special chapter (which was supposed to be 10k words as a huge thank you for 50k+ reads ily all) but i couldn't do it. i was procrastinating like crazy & stressing myself out to the point where i felt like i had major writer's block & it was driving me mad. i didn't want to make you guys wait any longer for a chapter, because i love you all & i love writing this, so i decided to go with the usual 3.5k words. i hope that's alright.

and i also have some more exciting (but sorta sad) news! unspoken is coming to an end soon.. but no fear, i already have the sequel in my drafts. i have only four episodes left to write, and that should be between 5-10 chapters & an epilogue :D i'm so beyond excited to move into 3a (even more for 3b, ha) & i can't wait for you to see what i have planned.

as always... comment opinions? c: