Step by Step, We'll Get There | By : Sasunarufan13 Category: S through Z > Teen Wolf Views: 4674 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Wolf nor profit of it. Jeff Davis owns it. |
Author's note: Yay, finished a chapter on time! A miracle happened *coughs*
Warnings: for this one mainly talk about dead bodies and related description about injuries; minor time skips
I hope you'll like it!
Chapter 7
The run up to graduation was nothing but one big blur after Stiles handed in his last exam.
There was the barbeque at the Hales, where he kept his father from eating too many burgers and himself doing his best not to stare at Derek too much. He wasn't sure whether he'd succeeded because the look in Laura's eyes was too close to sympathetic pity to be comfortable.
Lydia dragged him on another shopping trip on Monday; her eyes too maniac for him to try to form an excuse not to go. Kira joined them, however, so the torture wasn't too bad – mainly because Lydia focused on getting the right dress for the afterparty for Kira, leaving Stiles to wander behind them, trying not to catch Lydia's attention too much.
On Tuesday he and Scott met up to play games for the entire day, gorging themselves on snacks, pizza and soda. It felt good to play games again, hear Scott complaining every time he destroyed his character. It allowed him not to think of the fact that in a couple of months, days like this one would hardly happen once they started attending their respective colleges.
Scott would study to become a veterinarian, having been accepted in a college nearby, while Stiles was still trying to decide what he wanted to do with his life. Following in dad's footsteps would be awesome, especially because he loved solving cases – and might have stolen files from his dad before just to take a look at them – but doing something with literature might be interesting too, considering he loved to read. Or hell, maybe a journalist even, sating his curiosity about things happening in the world.
He'd been accepted to various high ranked universities and colleges, so at least he could choose where to go. Still, the nearest academic institution was a four hour drive; not that terribly far, but not exactly close either.
It would be weird not to see his dad or his friends on a daily basis anymore.
Surprisingly he didn't see Theo during the week following their exams. He'd expected the Alpha to take advantage of the free time to take him on a date, but Theo had apologised through a text, stating he was visiting family in another state and wouldn't be back until two days before graduation.
With Scott visiting his dad and Lydia planning the huge party she was going to throw after graduation, that left Stiles with not much else to do to pass the time. He could, he supposed, visit the Hales, but he wasn't that masochistic. Seeing and talking to Derek, but not being able to be with him in the way they both wanted, would only leave the both of them frustrated.
So, he did what he always ended up doing when he was bored and had nobody to distract him: he went snuffling through the police files.
A third body had been found two days ago.
Biting on the nail of his thumb, his eyes flicked back and forth as he read the report online, scrolling through the less interesting bits, lingering on others.
The reports of the pathologist of the first two victims had been added to the file and he decided to read those first before tackling the description of the third one. The first two victims had been found rather deep into the woods. The first one, a young woman, had looked like she'd been mauled to death apparently. The pathologist had recorded several deep gouges along her chest and back and her throat had been savagely ripped open as if an animal had set his teeth in her throat and bit straight through.
Unsurprisingly the throat injury had led to a severe blood loss, resulting in her death.
A few feet away from her the second victim had been found, a middle aged man. He'd received one stab to the heart with such a precision that death had been instant. His time of death was recorded as being at least two days after the woman, which of course raised the question how much of a coincidence it could be that his body had been found close to hers.
Even more curious the third victim had been found near the same place – except that this one, a thirty year old guy, had been buried alive. The only reason why the police had found him was because they had returned to the scene of the crime with two dogs in an attempt to uncover more evidence.
Instead of additional evidence, they had found a third body.
Leaning back in his chair, Stiles stared at the screen with a frown. His dad had dealt with some odd cases before, but this one definitely took the cake. There was seemingly no link between the three victims. The woman, one Elisabeth Crown, had only just graduated, holding a college degree in chemistry. The middle aged man, Jonathan Green, had been working for a bank and the younger guy, Marc Franklin, had just started working in a bookstore a few towns over.
The victims' paths had never crossed before their untimely deaths and the way they had died wasn't similar in the slightest either. One mauled by some kind of animal – or more likely, by a person who'd Shifted - the other stabbed and another one buried alive.
Yet all three of them had been found in the same place, which couldn't be a coincidence. Could it? Could it be possible that three different murderers had decided to dump their victims in the same spot, deep in the woods of Beacon Hills?
That would have to be one hell of a coincidence and Stiles wasn't very inclined to believe that. So one serial killer who apparently liked to be creative in the way he or she killed people? Or were the different methods an attempt to throw the police off their trail?
Maybe the woman was just a coincidence and had been mauled by a regular animal? No, he didn't think so. Animals that were big or strong enough to take down a human didn't live near these parts, so that only left someone who'd Shifted in their animal form for some reason to kill the poor girl.
What could the motive be, though? What was so special about these three people that they'd fallen victim to this killer? And why specifically choose that spot in the woods to dump the bodies? Was there something special about it?
"So freaking weird," he muttered, scrolling further down in the document. No wonder dad was so on edge and wanted him to stay out of the forest. It looked like some kind of psycho was offing people one by one and using the woods as his personal dumping ground.
When he arrived at the pictures, he sat up straight, more alert now. He thought he recognised that place in the preserve. He and his mother had often went there to pluck flowers and have their own personal picknicks. The preserve as a whole was a place he loved to visit, but that particular spot had always had a special place in his heart for some reason. He'd always attributed it to the fact that his mother had loved going there, but …
What if it was special for other reasons too? There had to be a reason why the killer had dumped his victims there, right? It was rather deep into the woods and there were easier places to dump bodies than there.
Peering at the pictures, he wondered if maybe he was mistaken and the crime scene was in a completely different spot in the preserve. But no, there was that thick tree stump in the middle of one of the photos; the one his mother had loved sleeping against.
So what was the deal about that place? Just pure coincidence or more?
Shooting a quick look at the digital clock of his laptop, he pursed his lips, tapping a pencil rapidly against the edge of his desk. He still had a couple of hours left before dad's shift would end; long enough to make a short trip to check something out.
He had promised dad he would stay out of this case, though … But surely a quick look around the preserve wouldn't hurt? Dad hadn't explicitly forbidden him from setting foot in the forest after all – just that he had to be very careful and preferably with someone else to accompany him.
Never let it be said that Stiles couldn't find loopholes in everything. One would think the Sheriff would know better by now when trying to forbid his only son from doing something.
Seriously, though: what harm could a quick look around do? He would just quickly check whether something had changed about the place since he'd last visited it with his mother.
Something that might be attractive enough for a possible serial killer to make it their burial ground.
The sun was beating down harshly when he stepped out of his car, gravel crunching underneath his sneakers. Looking around he spotted a couple of other vehicles, but no actual police cars, so at least he wouldn't be caught by one of his dad's deputies.
He set a brisk pace, keeping a wary eye on the ground so that he wouldn't trip over one of the many roots protruding from the earth. He loved the woods, but those tree roots were treacherous and an utter menace to someone whose balance was passable at best on a good day. For a moment he considered Shifting, but he didn't want to have to search a spot to hide his clothes. He also knew himself very well; if he Shifted, he'd most likely get distracted and then this trip would end up being way longer than it needed to be and then his dad would probably find out and yeah.
Dad not finding out about his impromptu trip to the Preserve was of utmost importance.
In spite of not having been there for years on end – the memories of Claudia having been too painful to face for a very long time – he instinctively still knew which path to take and which brook to cross. He didn't encounter anyone else, though sometimes his ears picked up the sounds of people laughing; the noise carried over to him by a soft breeze which occasionally rustled the leaves and provided some cooling on this hot summer's day.
As he neared the place with that particular tree stump, he had to pause a couple of times, swallowing back tears when he remembered all the times he and his mother had raced each other to the tree, the winner getting to demolish all the berries they'd plucked. This particular spot had been something of just the two of them, a private place no one else seemed to know about.
To realise that someone – some psycho killer – was using it as their own personal graveyard …
It made him feel sick.
When he finally neared the edge of the field, he halted and rested a hand on the nearest tree trunk. Surveying his surroundings carefully, he inhaled deeply and was immediately hit by the familiar scents of fresh grass, wild flowers and that one particular essence he had never been able to name. Something which seemed to be a combination of various scents and yet smelt like it was completely unique at the same time.
A certain kind of perfume which had always driven the younger version of him wild, curling into his nostrils, filling his head until it seemed as if he could only smell that particular scent.
Now it wasn't anything different. The scent appeared to have grown stronger even, permeating the air, making it a tad harder to breathe. How had those deputies been able to stand that smell? Especially when combined with the bad odours of decomposing bodies.
Grimacing at his own thoughts, he cautiously took a couple of steps forwards. The grass had been flattened in several places, trampled underneath the police's – and killer's – shoes. The tree stump – the one he and his mother had spent so much time around – stood still proudly in the middle of the field. Or well, as proudly as a stump could stand anyway. It managed to look regal either way, as if it was still the large, broad tree it had once been – according to Claudia anyway.
A large patch of grass around six feet away from the tree was gone, showing uprooted earth. That must have been the place where the third victim had been buried alive. The other two bodies had been found near the tree as well, but aside from some left over dried blood, there was nothing to indicate the victims had been dumped here.
The stench of death was hard to ignore, though, and he wrinkled his nose, breathing through his mouth while he slowly walked around the stump, studying the ground carefully. What was so special about this place that the killer had dumped three bodies here? It was rather deeply located in the woods, that was true, but it wasn't as if nobody ever came here either. The killer would have had more luck staying undetected if he'd gone more north, where the terrain was so rough and uneven barely anybody went there for a walk.
Stopping next to the stump, he rubbed his bare arms absently and pressed his lips together. The air felt strangely charged and heavy and he wondered whether a storm was approaching. The weather report hadn't mentioned anything of that sort, but well, the weather in Beacon Hills could be rather unpredictable at times.
Tapping his foot lightly against a visible root of the stump, he heaved a sigh and stuck his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Well, this had been a complete bust. He couldn't see anything that might make of this place the ideal burial ground. It was just a tree stump surrounded by wild flowers and grass; he'd seen better dumping places used in tv shows and movies.
His ears picked up the sound of approaching footsteps too late.
"Stiles, what are you doing here?"
He whirled around so quickly, he tripped over his own feet and fell backwards, waving his arms around wildly before he fell down hard on the stump with a shout. "OH FUCK! That hurt!" he moaned, dead twigs stabbing his butt. He practically threw himself forwards; his butt aching from the impact on the dead tree.
Wincing and rubbing a hand over the aching parts he looked up and saw Laura standing a couple of feet away from him, sporting an unimpressed look.
Crossing her arms, she repeated, "What are you doing here?"
Her hair was done up in a high ponytail and she wore white shorts and a yellow tube top; her skin already glowing with a healthy tan. Damn those Hales for being able to tan so perfectly. If Stiles would tan, he'd end up looking like a cooked lobster.
"Just walking around," he answered evasively, straightening up.
"Here?" she said sceptically; her eyes flicking around the field.
"Yeah, my mom and I – we used to visit this field a lot," he said, hoping she would leave it at that. He really hated pulling the dead mom card, but the last thing he needed was for Laura to grow suspicious and alert his dad to his little outing.
At the mention of his mother, her face softened and she sighed softly, resting her hands on her hips. "I get it," she said sympathetically. "But Stiles, it's better if you don't come around this place for a while, okay? I'm sure you've smelt the scent of death too." She looked at him pointedly, letting him know she wasn't fooled after all.
"Sorry," he said chagrined, rubbing the back of his neck. "Can you please not tell my dad about this? He doesn't want me to go alone in the Preserve now."
"No, that doesn't seem like a good idea to me either," she said calmly. "I'm letting you off the hook for this once, Stiles, but if I catch you here a second time, I'll march you straight to the Sheriff's station myself, are we clear?"
"Crystal!" he agreed hastily, sighing in relief. He knew he was lucky Laura had found him and not Talia or her husband – they wouldn't have had any qualms about telling his dad about his trip here.
Narrowing her eyes, she clucked her tongue. "I mean it, though. The Preserve isn't a safe place for now. Not until the killer is caught. Don't make me regret leaving you off the hook, mister."
"I won't," he vowed, before trying his luck a second time, "Do you know whether they have any suspects?"
"No, haven't heard anything about that," she said, crossing the small distance between them.
"And even if you did, you wouldn't tell me," he guessed disappointed, scowling when she smirked and flicked his ear.
"Got that right. Now come on, I'll walk you to your jeep."
The walk back was silent, Stiles not knowing what to say after having been caught and Laura seemingly too intent on scanning their surroundings to make small talk. It made him question just how bad this case was if it even set Laura on edge.
She finally looked at him when they reached his beloved jeep and waited until he'd got behind the wheel to speak again. Leaning in the window, she said, "I'll see you around, Stiles – although preferably not in the Preserve," she added with a meaningful look.
"Yeah, all right," he grunted. "Not like there was anything interesting to see anyway."
She snorted and lightly pinched his arm before turning around. Before she could walk back, he called out to her.
"Hey, Laura! Tell your siblings I said hi!"
Her laugh was bright and clear, filling the warm summer air and it was so infectious it made him grin.
"Yeah, okay, I'll pass the message on to my siblings." She winked and waved, before disappearing into the trees again.
Shaking his head, still grinning, he started his car and reversed out of the parking spot, joining some other cars on the road.
Only when he was almost home again, did he realise how weird it had been for Laura to find him there. With the field being off limits for the time being, why had she been there?
"I'm really proud of you, son." Dad hugged him tightly, voice thick and his eyes wet with a sheen of unshed tears. "Your mother would have been so proud too."
"Thanks, dad," Stiles muttered, clasping his arms around the older man and hugging him back just as tightly. His cap was somewhere behind him and he'd nearly tripped over the long robes he'd been forced to wear, but he couldn't be happier now.
He had finally graduated. From now on he would no longer suffer the torment of high school and teachers who were out to get him – cough, Harris, cough. He was as free as a bird – until university started, but that wouldn't be for another few months.
"Still think you would have done a better job with the speech than Lydia," Dad grinned and pulled back, wiping his eyes quickly.
"Figured it would be safer for me if I let her have that moment," Stiles chuckled and as if she heard him, Lydia looked up from her mother's embrace a couple of feet away, throwing him a quick smile.
"Congratulations, Stiles," Melissa smiled, pulling him into another hug once she got close enough; Scott following her with a blinding grin of his own. Her eyes were red rimmed and she sniffled slightly. "Can't believe how quickly you two grew up. It seems like it was just yesterday that I found you two playing in the sandbox and Stiles declaring Scott was going to be his best friend forever."
"Aw, Mama McCall, you're going to make us all cry," Stiles joked, but there was a lump in his throat and he had to blink rapidly several times to push back the tears.
"I'm just really proud of you two, okay? I want you to know that," she insisted, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.
"We know, ma," Scott grinned and kissed her cheek. His face lit up when he saw something – or most likely someone – over Stiles' shoulder. "There's Kira! Do you mind if I …"
"Go," she snorted and waved him off. "But I expect you back in a moment so we can all go out to eat lunch."
"I'll be back soon!" he promised and then practically rushed past Stiles, eager to get to his girlfriend.
"How about we go wait somewhere where there's shade?" Dad proposed, squinting up at the sky. "I feel like I'm about to sweat right out of my shirt; can't imagine how much worse it has to be for you, son."
"I'm taking off the robe as soon as we're in the car," Stiles grimaced, plucking at the thick, blue cloth. He still didn't understand why the graduation robes couldn't have been made out of a lighter fabric, considering they graduated in the freaking summer.
He was only wearing a T-shirt and his jeans underneath it, but with the sun high up in the sky, it was enough to make him feel like he was simmering in his own personal sauna.
"Sounds like a good idea," Melissa agreed and nodded towards the edge of the field where a row of trees formed a natural wall. "We can wait there for a bit. I don't think the tent will do us any good if we wait there."
Stiles didn't think so either; the white tent on the other end of the field looked more ready to bake the people inside than actually offer some shade. Several people were making their way towards it, so even if the sun wouldn't warm up the space considerably, the amount of people inside would do the trick just fine.
"All right, let's go," Dad agreed and they wriggled themselves through the thrum of other parents hugging their children and teachers congratulating their now ex-students.
"Stiles!"
His name being called had Stiles halting and turning around, squinting when the glare of the sun hit him right in his face. Theo was hurrying towards him, his cap clenched in his left hand.
Dad briefly touched his shoulder. "We'll wait for you there," he said and walked away with Melissa before Theo had reached him.
He threw a brief scowl at the retreating back of his dad before he turned back around, offering the other guy a grin. "Hey Theo, congrats on graduating, man."
"Yeah, you too," Theo smiled. "I was so sure you'd be up there giving the speech, though."
Stiles shrugged, a bit bashful. "Lydia's better suited for things like that," he said. Between the two of them, Lydia definitely excelled in writing speeches that managed to touch both students, teachers and parents. Left up to Stiles, he'd probably started rambling about something completely unrelated midway through his speech. For the sanity of everyone involved, it had been better if Lydia gave the speech.
"Too bad, would have loved to hear what kind of speech you would have come up with," the Alpha grinned.
"One filled with too many different subjects," Stiles smiled wryly. "Trust me, you were all better off listening to Lydia."
"Well, we'll never know for sure," Theo chuckled before clearing his throat. Something akin to a bashful look crossed over his face and he licked his lips before asking hesitatingly, "I was thinking … Maybe I could take you out tomorrow? Like, er, on a date?"
The idea of having an actual date with Theo had Stiles' stomach flipping in an uncomfortable way, but he plastered a smile on his face and nodded. "Sure, sounds good."
The words tasted like ash in his mouth, even with Theo beaming and his eyes gleaming with joy. The last thing he wanted now was a date with the Alpha, but he had to at least pretend to make an effort.
Besides, maybe the date wouldn't be that awful. At worst it might be something lame Theo had planned, but well, it wasn't like he'd never done something lame before.
No way was he going to kiss Theo, though. Too bad for the dude, but amazing date or not, these lips of his were reserved for one person only and that wasn't the Alpha standing in front of him.
AN2: I don't know much about how the education system in the USA works, so I'm basically taking some artistic liberty with some of these elements *coughs*
Please leave your thoughts behind in a review; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me.
I hope to see you all back in the next chapter!
Cuddles
Melissa
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