From Ashes ✗ Stiles Stilinski - Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Yes, Madeline knew what a dance was – as she previously explained to Stiles.
The problem was she had never been to one; her expertise made a full stop at the parties in the warehouse district of San Francisco. Of course, those were nothing like this.
As she walked into the gym she gawked at the decorated room. Pastel streamers were strewn all over the place and colored lights danced along the walls and floors as upbeat music pulsed from the large speakers. The warehouse parties had a different energy - more people and manic lighting to match dizzying mood and the never-ending bass pounding at her ear drums. Something both euphoric and claustrophobic.
This was...tame. Pristine, like there was a polish over everything and everyone.
Her eyes floated over the students as she walked further into the room, trying to find someone she recognized. If she was lucky, it'd be Allison considering the imminent threat; if she wasn't so lucky... her eyes fell on a shadow moving along the side of the bleachers. Her brows furrowed and she carefully made her way over.
As she got closer though, her guard lowered. There was Scott, crouched in his suit and feebly hiding along the wooden seats. He spotted her and gave a nod which she returned before continuing through the crowd. It wasn't long before she spotted more people she knew of course. Sitting at a table at the edge of the crowd were the bored figures of Lydia and Stiles. She took a deep breath in and strode over to them, plopping her bag down in an empty seat.
This seemed to call their attention and she gave a thin smile as she set her jacket down on the back of the chair. Lydia looked positively smug upon seeing her while Stiles gave the impression that he was still processing what he was seeing. Not like he was impressed, but more like it didn't quite compute. She ignored both reactions for the time being though. "Aren't you people supposed to have fun at these things?"
"It's about time," Lydia chided the girl but looked absolutely relieved. She analyzed Maddie carefully. "Spin."
Maddie folded her arms, feeling particularly self conscious. "I am not spinning."
The look Lydia gave her seemed to say differently of course. Eight years of training with someone of the strongest women on earth and she seemed to give into Lydia's ridiculous requests time and time again. She didn't even know why most of the time. Maybe she actually enjoyed hanging out with her – which was saying a lot since they never did anything Maddie liked. Maybe there was a sort of dazzle around Lydia that made stupid things like a dance or shopping something she wanted in her life. With that she huffed and did a full 360 degree turn, feeling foolish afterwards. Lydia, pleased with herself, beamed at the girl.
"See? You look amazing." She turned to Stiles. "Doesn't she look amazing?"
"Uh..." Stiles' eyes widened at Lydia and then at Maddie. He cleared his throat before finally speaking again. "Psht, yeah! You, uh...you look...y'know...what she said."
Lydia gave him a deadpan stare and Maddie gave a stiff nod before sitting down and turning to Lydia. "Have you seen Allison yet?"
This did not seem to give a good reaction. Lydia's eyes darted over to Maddie, wide and guarded. "She's somewhere in here with Jackson, I assume."
"Ah," was Maddie's only response, deciding to drop the subject altogether.
This was going to be a long night.
Forty minutes crawled by and at least fifteen ago, Stiles and Lydia had left to dance. It was an interesting exchange watching the warring factions of Stiles' annoyance and Lydia's distracted indifference. As far as semi-romantic proclamations go, Maddie considered 'smart' one of the highest compliments anyone could give. In fact, it was almost sweet. This was of course followed by a near capture of Scott by Coach Finstock.
The hi-jinks were entertaining for a time, but as Maddie watched the couple on the floor, even she had a sinking feeling. It was one she hadn't felt in quite a while and it was hardly noticeable at the moment – but it was there. Envy. Everyone was on the floor dancing now as she sipped her punch – which tasted funny to begin with.
As she pushed it away, she noticed Lydia zoom by the table and out of the gym. She turned around to find Stiles slowly walking back to the table and slumping down into a chair. Maddie raised an eyebrow at the boy. "Where's she headed?"
He was staring a hole through the table but seemed to catch the question and exhaled loudly. "To find Jackson."
She nodded vaguely. "Right."
Minutes passed in silence as the music slowed. It was then a boy with ash blond hair stumbled over to the table – more specifically to Maddie's side. He was sweating so much that it stained the collar of his white button up and his mouth wore a giant grin as he leered at her.
"Wanna da-"
"No." Maddie blinked once, her expression unchanging.
"Come on. Loosen up," he drawled, his bright blue eyes moving down her form.
Feeling mildly irritated and just a bit sickened, the corners of her mouth tugged downward. "You're disgusting."
The boy was clearly intoxicated as he moved closer to her. "Pfft...the guys were right. You know, I heard you had this butch rep but I had no clue you were such a bi-"
"Hey." Stiles had stood up, to Maddie's horror. He walked over to the unknown boy, trying to look as intimidating as possible. "She said no, dude. Move on."
"Stiles, what the hell are you doing?" Maddie asked just loud enough to hear, the shock creeping into her voice.
Stiles ignored it and the drunk boy grinned.
"Really, Stilinski?" he slurred causing Stiles' last name to lose half its letters on the way out. Stiles didn't move or say a word; he simply continued to try and stare him down. The boy rolled his eyes. "Whatever, spaz. Wasn't worth it anyway."
He stumbled away, bumping into random people until he disappeared. Once he was out of sight, Stiles meandered back to his seat, all the while Maddie stared at him in disbelief. In part because they'd never even been remotely pleasant toward each other. It took him another second to register her gaze as he looked over at her with a blank expression. "What?"
"...why did you do that?" She looked at him as if she were trying to solve a particularly difficult puzzle.
He shrugged, his light brown eyes dim and distant. "He was making an ass out of himself and you looked annoyed. I thought I'd help."
There was a long pause as she thought of what to say, a skill that she never mastered. "...I could've handled it."
"Fair enough," he said with a nod, his tone turning a bit annoyed. "Next time I'll let you knock him through a wall and reveal your secret identity to a room full of people."
of her wanted to argue with him more, but she decided against it. "...thanks, I guess."
"No problem." There was an air of sarcasm in his tone – as if that was a surprise – but for a second, he almost seemed sincere. A strangely comfortable silence enveloped the two as Maddie checked her phone and Stiles watched the door, presumably for Lydia to return. As Maddie sighed and scrolled through her contacts, debating whether or not to check in with HQ to pass the time, she noticed Stiles throwing her a sideways glance. There seemed to be a moment of debate in his head as he tapped his fingers on the table to the beat of the song playing. He opened his mouth to speak once or twice but shut it again, veering his attention back to the door. Another minute passed when the boy found his voice again.
"She was right, by the way."
Maddie's head perked up when he spoke and she turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "What?"
"I'm not exactly an expert on these things but you, uh..." His light brown eyes darted from her to the crowd. "You look nice."
There weren't many things in Maddie's life that surprised her anymore. There was even a point when she was sure no one – no human being, at least - could get an edge on her. Yet, here she was, mouth slightly hung open, staring at Stiles as if he was missing his head. Another moment longer and a light, almost embarrassed laugh left her. She looked down at her outfit once more before looking over at him again. "...Thanks."
He gave his own half-hearted grin before they both returned their attention to the people dancing. Another prolonged silence filled the space between them until Stiles spoke up again.
"You didn't want to..."
As Maddie turned to him again, he nodded in the direction of the dance floor.
Maddie's eyes widened in horror and she fervently shook her head. "No. Not at all."
"Good," he said immediately and gave a nervous laugh. "Heh, dodged that bullet!"
Suddenly the silence had turned awkward around them and, after a full minute, Maddie stood. She gathered her bag and jacket, slipping it back on. "We should split up and look for Lydia."
"Yeah, yeah we should."
Stiles quickly stood up as well and they both walked to the open gym doors, as if trying to escape something.
Just as they walked through them though, a disheveled figure stepped towards them. Now illuminated in the purple hue of the festive lights pouring out of the gymnasium, Jackson stood before them – alone. Stiles seemed particularly annoyed by this. "Where the hell have you been? Did Lydia ever find you?"
There was something suspiciously off about how Jackson carried himself. There was no air of drunkenness or even his usual arrogance. No, this Jackson was ever so slightly hunched over and his blue eyes held the slightest hint of worry. He released a breath, although it sounded a bit constricted – as if he couldn't think of what to say.
Although Maddie had an inkling where this was going, Stiles didn't seem to quite get it yet as he gave a confused shrug. "What? What's wrong?"
The boy struggled to speak. "I - I was out behind the school and I - I was - out –"
Stiles' eyes narrowed.
"What happened?" Stiles asked as anger became prevalent in both his and Maddie's stares. "Jackson...what did you do?"
"We don't have time for this." Maddie's head whipped around, her eyes a mixture of rage and concern. "We need to find Lydia."
Stiles nodded, his glare still boring into Jackson's skull. "I'll check the field."
"Call if you find her. I'll make sure this one comes with me." In a flash, her hand gripped the lapel of Jackson's suit, pulling him down to eye level. "Before he causes any more trouble."
Without another word, they went their separate way, down opposite ends of the dark hallway. Maddie ignored Jackson's struggling and incessant whining as she shouted down the empty corridors for Lydia.
"A-are – are you like them?" Jackson managed out. He swallowed as she continued to drag him along. "A werewolf?"
She silently went on, shoving out of a pair of side doors into the cool night air. It probably wasn't as stupid of a question as she took it, but she didn't bother to reply.
"What are you?!" the boy shouted, his words coming out in a mixture of fear and slurring. Even at a distance, she could smell the booze on his breath. "Say something!"
Something in Maddie snapped; even worse, something shattered. Every misstep that had weighed heavy on her shoulders she allowed to come crashing down.
With all of her strength, she threw Jackson into the side of the building, his back hitting the bricks roughly. As he slumped down to the ground and looked up at her, horrified, she sneered.
"I am sick and tired of answering to people in this goddamn town! I don't owe you an explanation! I don't owe you anything!" Jackson attempted to pick himself up but Maddie planted her heeled foot firmly on his chest and pushed him back down. "The only person who hasn't given me a reason not to trust them unfortunately has a soft spot for, of all people, you – and now she's somewhere out there alone. In danger - because of you. So we're going to find her without another syllable from you."
Before she could even move her foot, her phone buzzed urgently in her jacket pocket. She quickly pulled it out and pressed the large green 'answer' button on the touchscreen. "Did you find Lydia? Is she alright?"
"Y-you need to get to the lacrosse field now. She's hurt, Maddie."
Her throat tightened. Something about this felt too familiar, too raw. "What do you mean she's hurt?"
"The Alpha – he...he attacked her. Maddie, he bit her." There was a short break as if he was trying to catch his breath and Maddie felt her stomach drop. "Get here quick. Get her to the hospital."
"Right. We're coming." Without another word, she hung up and stuffed her phone in her pocket once more. She moved her foot and picked Jackson up with ease. "Call 911 - now."
Maddie had gone as fast as she possibly could while dragging Jackson behind her and feeling her phone go off several times in her pocket. He seemed to keep up a bit better, but that seemed like a fair reaction after their previous conversation. As they neared the field, illuminated by the surrounding lights, they both noted something in the center of it. On the ground was a person. The slayer, on instinct, let go of Jackson and ran the rest of the way over. There Lydia was, bloodied and unconscious – and Maddie had stopped in her tracks.
She was in shock still - frozen in place as her heart beat quicker and louder, becoming deafening in her eardrums. This part she remembered. She remembered the blood and the terrible silence, like the sounds of the whole world had been muted all at once. She remembered a body lying motionless in the rain and the blood curling in the puddles. She remembered screaming and wanting to run forward. Wanting to do something when it was too late.
It couldn't be too late. Not now. Not again.
She reached to perhaps stop the wound on the girl's side that was bleeding profusely but her hand stopped short of it. Madeline couldn't help but find herself breathing more rapidly. It was too soon. This was still too soon. She wasn't ready. It was only six months.
Why did she think she was ready?
Jackson finally made his way closer, fear etched in his features. "Wh- What? Is she okay? Is she going to-"
He was promptly cut off by Maddie's fist crashing with his jaw. His voice seemed to crack all the way through her horror and all that was left to bleed out was anger. She didn't really know how hard she had hit him but it was enough to send him to the ground. As she started to speak, her voice came out low and dangerous. "You better pray that she lives."
Jackson glanced up at her, blood on his mouth and fear in his eyes.
For the fifth time, her phone buzzed. Her hand finally reached into her pocket and yanked it out, answering it when she saw the name. "What?!"
"You're needed at the house. We have a problem."
"Yeah, well, there's a dying girl outside of a high school that needs medical attention," she snapped at the eldest Argent. "That's the priority."
"I'll take her," Jackson managed to say weakly. There was still rage boiling over in Maddie's gaze but Jackson pulled himself to his feet, standing a considerable bit away from her. "I swear to god, I'll get her right to the ambulance."
Maddie was about to argue it when Chris' voice cut her off.
"Hayes, we know about Scott."
She felt her chest tighten.
After begrudgingly leaving the scene and heading back to her motel room to change into normal street clothes, Maddie found herself at the Argent's doorstep in less than an hour. She'd left her bag in the room and opted for her favorite hand ax – although the most important thing on her was her phone. She wished someone would contact her to let her know what's going on. She still had no idea where Scott or Stiles went – and she felt that she would certainly need to contact them if the debriefing went like she knew it would.
The door opened and she was met with the cold stare of Allison's father. Her own expression seemed to match his though – full of suspicion and distrust. He let her in and the girl walked into the living room where Allison's mother, Victoria, stood. On the floor were broken shards of ceramic – a sign that did not bode well.
"Is Allison here?" Maddie asked distantly.
Victoria's stare hardened. "I hardly think that that's any of your business."
Maddie didn't bother to face the woman.
Chris finally entered the room and stopped several feet from her, his stare cold as bore through her and he spoke. "Did you know that Scott McCall was one of the Betas?"
"Yes," Maddie answered, leaving no reservations in her tone. After the past week, she couldn't seem to care. Lydia was somewhere out there, bleeding to death and Maddie didn't have time for an interrogation.
"How long?"
"Two weeks."
"How long were you planning on not informing us?" Victoria's voice boomed and echoed around the room.
Maddie whipped around and finally met the woman's eyes, one blaze meeting another. "How long were you planning on hiding the Hale fire from me?!"
"We weren't even aware that it had anything to do with the murders." Chris' voice got louder as well. "The fact of the matter is you work for us-"
"I DON'T WORK FOR ANYONE!" Maddie shouted, taking a threatening step towards the man. "I trained for half of my life to protect the innocent! "
She pointed an accusing finger at Victoria.
"So I'm not your lapdog," she continued, moving her narrowed eyes to Chris once again, "and I'm not your assassin!"
"Is that why Allison knew we planted you?" Chris asked, his voice still accusatory but calmer. "Did you tell her something?"
"I have nothing to gain by telling your daughter anything," Maddie said, her voice still jagged and hoarse. "But, you know what? Good. I'm glad someone did."
Victoria's stare flicked over to her husband. "...I told you. I said not to bring the Slayers into this and you did. And she's been nothing but trouble from the start."
"I'm not here for your approval. I'm not even here to give you information." Maddie felt her anger harden into something solid all the way through. "I've fought the Alpha werewolf twice and I'm going to take him down – with or without you. So, you can ask for my help or you can make the mistake of standing in my way. Either way, you're not going to stop me and you're not going to lay a hand on Scott McCall."
"Why are you so hell bent on protecting him?" Victoria spat out, her voice drenched in spite.
"Because he saved my life..." Maddie's eyes raised from the floor to Victoria, burning with horrors none of them could imagine. "...and you threatened it."
When they didn't move an inch, she strode past the Argents and made her way to the door. Her hand was barely touching the handle when she heard Chris call out to her. "...Wait."
She stopped, although her hand didn't move until he spoke again.
"We have a plan."