◤ chapter seventeen: ❛ the waiting game ❜ ◢

✧

THE HOURS PASSED SLOWLY, EVERY SECOND TICKING LIKE DRIPPING WATER FROM A FAUCET. Tick, tick, tick...drip, drip, drop slowly down the drain. The night passed with Cooper and Scott crashing with Deucalion, him not wanting them out of his sight just yet. Morning rose and instead of preparing for school as he should've been, he was eating breakfast with an Alpha pack, only one ally by his side.

         He didn't know who looked more uncomfortable. Him, trying to control his emotions and not give any wolf the satisfaction of hearing his racing heart and growing paranoia, or Scott, who had a dead look in his eyes. Defeated, perhaps, with a hint of fear in the back. If he hadn't been studying his friend, he wouldn't have noticed either. He hoped Deucalion didn't notice.

         Breakfast was a quiet affair, and eventually the wolves peeled away. Deucalion didn't tell them the full plan, and Cooper didn't inquire. He may not have much when it comes to survival instinct, but he knew that his healing abilities wasn't enhanced. He didn't want to risk it.

         When they were left alone, Cooper joined Scott on the couch, close enough to feel the brush of the other boy. The contact soothed him, and he was sure his heart skipped a beat. He prayed that Scott didn't notice.

         "Why did you come with me?" Scott asked in a low voice, turning towards him.

         "I didn't want to leave you alone."

         The answer couldn't be that simple, shouldn't, but it was. He didn't want to leave Scott alone – the thought of him here by himself terrified him the same way letting Scott run through the hospital alone did. And he knew, logically, that Scott was more than capable of handling himself – he knew that last night Scott would've been fine on his own, but something in Cooper refused to let Scott leave without him.

         And that feeling stayed with Deucalion, and this. It stayed when Deucalion taunted the safety of Stiles' dad, and by extension Scott's mom, if he didn't join. He couldn't be the variable that ended in their death; he refused. And he refused to let Scott be alone.

         "You didn't have to," Scott softly said.

         Cooper turned away. "Well, I'm here now. Can't go back and change that."

         He thought about pulling away, began to separate his body from Scott's, but the boy chased him. When he went to stand, Scott pulled him back, gripping their hands together to keep Cooper. He looked over in surprise, and Scott's face was closer than he remembered. The breath caught in his throat, Scott's eyes searching his, and he was sure his heart was going crazy in his chest. He waited, and then –

         Scott blinked, letting distance between them, still holding his hand. Cooper looked forward to process, swallowing, and gaining his balance. Silence grew, he didn't know how to close the gap. Not with the voices, and not with Scott.

         Because Scott – he was so close, almost like he was, like he was...

         Scott was going to kiss him.

         Oh.

         Wait – oh no.

         Did Scott like him? Romantically? Because that – that was new. Or, no, it was a kiss, and kissing was definitely defined by lust and not romance. So no, it was just him being a siren. That had to be it; his aura was projecting too much onto Scott, and the poor boy couldn't help it. Well, no, he did help it. He stopped.

         He really needed to talk to Julia about this. But, then again, did he really want to talk about boys with her? And it wasn't the first time Scott had been affected, wasn't the first time anyone had been affected, but it was most anyone had.

         Yeah, some guys were roped into the orbit that was Cooper Whittemore. And sometimes some girls, though thankfully those were fewer.  But Scott...he had been affected by so much. Always close to him, watching out, enthralled. So he pulled back, he cut off his aura, and he thought he was doing a good job maintaining it. No one else had been severely affected, not to the degree Scott was.

         But maybe...

         Oh.

         Oh no.

         Was he projecting onto Scott? Not just general siren aura, but purposeful? He had done it before, plenty of times without even realizing, and Julia mentioned how she was so enamored with her late husband she hadn't realized she had been reeling him in. Was he doing that to Scott?

         Did he like Scott? Romantically?

         Because that's bad. Very bad. Cooper Whittemore was a slut and proud, but he was not a romantic. He didn't do relationships, Jackson did, he slept around and built a reputation. But –

         He wanted Scott to kiss him.

         And he didn't want Scott to be alone, because he liked Scott, and oh my God he liked Scott romantically and wants to kiss him and date him. That's terrible. That's the worst thing he discovered about himself, actually.

         Ugh, feelings. He hated them.

✧

         COOPER STAYED BY Scott's side as Deucalion led them through the preserve. Leaves crunched beneath his feet, bits of sunlight peeking through naked trees. Despite growing up with the woods surrounding his hometown, he never ventured through them. Not since he was a child, and he found himself lost in the vastness of it. Ethan and Deucalion led them without problem, Scott navigated himself, Kali stalking behind, and Cooper helplessly followed.

         It dawned on him that he couldn't find his way out if he needed. Completely reliant on Deucalion not turning on them and Scott not leaving him behind. A place he didn't quite like being in.

         "This way," Ethan concluded after sniffing the air, catching a whiff of Marin Morrell. Cooper eyed Scott uneasily.

         He stared out as they walked, trying and failing to memorize the woods. They were endless and everything was the same. His element was full of life, people, energy, and this was barren. Emptiness nature that exceeded his capabilities.

         Scott stayed firmly at his side.

         Scott's hand shot out, reaching for a small bug, catching it and pondering it. "It's a firefly."

         Cooper raised an eyebrow. Deucalion nodded, "Unusual for this region."

         "It's because of Jennifer, isn't it?" Scott questioned, "Just before all this started, a deer crashed into Lydia's car, the cats went crazy at the animal clinic, birds flew into the high school...that was all her?"

         Deucalion nodded again. "They say animals can sense natural disasters when they're about to happen. Maybe they can sense supernatural ones as well."

         "Does she scare you?"

         "She concerns me," Deucalion corrected Scott. Cooper couldn't help but agree, Jennifer concerned him too – scared him as well. "If she's willing to kill that many innocent people for her cause – people like your mother and Stiles' father."

         "Are you willing to kill innocent people?"

         Cooper almost wanted to laugh at Scott's question. Deucalion didn't strike him as the most moral of people, especially after killing Boyd and Erica.

         Deucalion turned his head in Scott's direction, quiet for a moment before gravely stating, "I'll kill any living thing that gets in my way."

         Cooper looked away. In theory, it seemed so easy to kill. To go a little overboard with a song, to break the eardrum and keep screaming, and in so many TV shows it looked simple. A gunshot and then everything was over. Nothing was simple here, not really, but it seemed so simple to end everything.

         The aftermath wouldn't be, but the act – it seemed too simple.

         And Deucalion, who had killed before, didn't hesitate. Cooper didn't want to think about what would happen if they did.

         Scott didn't ask another question. They continued their path, and Scott didn't stray from him.

         Eventually, they came to a clearing, and Marin Morrell stood in the center.

         "How did you know, Marin, that we'd come for you?" Deucalion asked.

         "Because Jennifer and I are the same," she looked at him with guarded eyes, "And I know you've always been suspicious of us, of what we can do."

         "With good reason!" Kali defended, "We know you sent the girl – the one who helped Isaac."

         "What was her name?"

         "Braedon. And I sent her to do what I've always done – maintain the balance," Marin answered.

         "What do you know about Jennifer?"

         "Nothing more than you know," then, her eyes trained on him and Scott, "This isn't you. Go back to your friends."

         "The boys can decide what's right for themselves."

         "Not without all the information!" Marin shot back, "Have you told him everything you've done? How you've piled up bodies in a narcissistic and psychotic effort to form your perfect pack? Bodies that include Ennis, by the way. My brother saved him – he was alive when Deucalion went in to see him. He wants you to go after Derek, Kali, to force his decision. If Derek joins the pack, it paves the way for Scott."

         Deucalion gave her an amused smile. "The lies people will tell when they're begging for their life."

         "Ask him."

         "Hey, back off!" Scott roared into action, placing himself between Deucalion and Marin, "I'm not going to let them kill you. But, if you know something, if you know where they are –"

         "The Nemeton," Marin whispered, "You find that, you'll find Jennifer. Find the Nemeton."

✧

         WITH SCOTT'S SHOULDER pressed against his, he had a hard time concentrating on Stiles explaining that he had also found out about the Nemeton. He swallowed, trying to cool his heartbeat that wanted to run wild. Now was not the time for Scott to hear his heart – actually, it was never time for that.

         "How'd you guys find out?"

         "Lydia. You?" Stiles shot back.

         "Morrell. None of the other Alphas know where it is, either."

         "So, if this works, are you gonna tell them?"

         Scott sighed. "We can't stop Jennifer without them."

         "How about we concentrate on finding your parents first?" Deaton broke in.

         "What's the plan?"

         "Essentially, you, Allison, and Stiles need to be surrogate sacrifices for your parents," Deaton gravely stated.

         "We die for them?"

         "Absolutely not!" Cooper shook his head, "The plan should be that no one dies at all, not killing you three!"

         "Deaton can bring us back!" Stiles interjected, meeting the apprehensive look on Scott's face before eyeing Deaton, "...you can bring us back, right?"

         "You remember the part where I said it was dangerous?" Deaton took a deep breath before explaining, "If it goes right, the three of you will be dead for a few seconds...but, there's something else you need to think about. This is a dangerous ritual for more reasons than one. You'll be giving power back to the Nemeton, a place that hasn't had power for a long time. This kind of power is like a magnet – it attracts the supernatural, the kind of things that a family like the Argents can fill a bestiary with. It will draw them here, like a beacon."

         Stiles shrugged. "Doesn't sound worse than anything we've already seen..."

         "Doesn't mean I wanna see more," Cooper said.

         "You'd be surprised at what you have yet to see."

         "Is that it?" Scott asked.

         "Is that it? Is that it?" Cooper asked incredulously, "I don't think a plan that involves you dying should be met with the question is that it!"

         Deaton shook his head. "There's more. It'll also have an effect on the three of you. You won't be able to see it, but you'll feel it...every day, for the rest of your lives. It'll be a kind of...darkness around your heart, and permanent, like a scar."

         "Like a tattoo."

         Cooper eyed Scott. "This is a really bad plan. We can find another way."

         Scott sadly looked at him. "I don't think there is."

         Cooper continued to stare at him for a moment before huffing and looking away. He kept quiet, following them out of the woods and to the animal clinic, but stayed outside while they prepared the ritual. He breathed in the cold night air, watching the limited stars above him. This could be it. The end.

         The three of them could die, and their parents too, and then everyone else would be left to pick up the pieces. Jennifer would win, and there would be more funerals, and life would go on. He didn't like the thought of any of it.

         "Hey," he heard the door open, looking to see Scott walking towards him, "I know you don't like this idea, but it's all we have."

         "You could die, Scott. Permanently. And then your mom would die, Stiles' dad, and everyone else," Cooper bluntly stated, staring up at the sky to avoid looking at the wolf.

         "You can't think like that. I will die, but I'm gonna come back. Stiles and Allison, too. It will work."

         "Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" Cooper asked, "Because it's not working on me."

         "Have a little faith."

         Cooper snorted. "I've never had a lot of faith for anything, doubt I can muster up enough for this."

         "For me," Scott found his hand, interlocking their fingers. All he could think about was how warm Scott was, and how cold he had become without realizing it. And then he found Scott's eyes, and it was like staring into the sun, something so warm and comforting, inviting him in. And he just felt like the dead of winter, melting away in Scott's presence. "I need you to believe that this is going to work, and that I'm going to survive, so that I can too. Give me the strength to live."

         Cooper sucked in a breath, looking at him and seeing his heart break in half. He never had this. Someone looking at him intently, needing him desperately. Having a connection and wanting to hold on indefinitely. He always broke away, never wanted to stay in the first place.

         Taking the hand that wasn't in Scott's grasp, he cupped Scott's face, bringing him closer for their lips to touch. He kissed Scott in a manner he never had with anyone else; pushing his feelings into it so Scott couldn't be confused. Intent on every move, laying it with life and warmth.

         Like always, he broke away first, but not far. A hair trigger away, still able to feel Scott's breath on his lips, he whispered, "Don't you dare stay dead."

         Tugging out of his grasp, he left Scott outside, joining the others in the clinic, heart beating rapidly. Scott didn't stay out for long, Once everyone was gathered, Deaton stood in front of them.

         "Alright. What did you bring?"

         "Um, I got my dad's badge. Jennifer kind of crushed it in her hand, so I tried hammering it out a little bit. Still doesn't look right," Stiles explained.

         "Well, it doesn't have to look good if it has meaning."

         Isaac gawked at what Allison held up. "Is that an actual silver bullet?"

         "My dad made it," Allison twirled it around, "It's kind of a ceremonial thing. When one of us finishes learning all the skills to be a Hunter, we forge a silver bullet as a testament to the Code."

         "Scott?"

         "My dad got my mom this watch when she first got hired at the hospital. She used to say it was the only thing in their marriage that ever worked."

         Deaton nodded. "Okay. The three of you will get in. Each of us will hold you under until you're essentially...well, dead. But, it's not just someone to hold you under – it needs to be someone who can pull you back, someone with a strong connection to you. A kind of emotional tether. Isaac, you'll be with Allison. Lydia, with Stiles. And Cooper with Scott."

         Scott met Cooper's eyes before tearing away to get into the ice bath. The three submerged themselves. Cooper crossed his arms while he watched.

         "By the way, if I don't make it back and you do, you should probably know something," Stiles sighed, looking at Scott guiltily, "Your dad's in town."

         Scott looked forward, not saying a word, when Deaton directed the others to get in position. Cooper placed his hands on Scott's shoulders, aiding him under the water. For a few moments there was peace before Scott began to fight back. Using all his strength, he kept the wolf submerged, waiting painfully until his limbs became weak and he let go. Swallowing, he turned away, shakily wiping his hands off with a towel as he tried to forget that he just helped Scott die.

         He found Lydia sitting against the wall and joined her. "Now we wait," he shakily said.

         She nodded. "Now we wait."