Beacon Hills She-Wolf

Chapter 23: Pain and Hope.

A/N: I know that Lydia is supposed to be the one who saves Jackson, but I don't really like that plot, because I could never see this "connection" between them. He was always disrespectful to her and they were only toghether for status. One of the main reasons why I chose to make my OC Jackson's sister was so that he could have someone with whom he actually had a connection from the beginning.
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When she arrived there, she saw a lot of people looking worried, police officers, paramedics, and a black bag, the kind they use to carry dead bodies. Her heart tightened in her chest as she walked closer with dificulty until she reached Scott:
-Scott!
-Uh, Carolinne! -He scratched the back of his head.
-Who's in that bag?
-Care...
-SCOTT, who is it?!
-It's... It's Jackson.
-No! -Her voice cracked and the whole world arround her seemed to crumble, tears gathering in her eyes. Her brother was dead; she'd just found out a way to save him and now he was dead. -How? -She sobbed. -What happened?
-Gerard tried to make him attack someone and he hurt himself to resist. And, I know it's not the best moment, but, uh, Stiles is missing.
-What?
-Gerard took him during the whole mess.
She almost confronted Scott herself. Because he'd sided with Gerard and Gerard killed Jackson.
-I can't believe he's dead... Where are my parents?
-They couldn't find you, so they went home thinking you'd be there. They're devastaded. -He considered asking where was she, but decided that now wasn't a good moment.
-I should probably go home.
He squeezed her shoulder before pulling her to a hug.
-Go. I'll update you on everything about Stiles.
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When she got home, her parents were waiting for her, and they were in deed devastated.
-Do you know how it happened? -Her mom asked.
Carolinne explained everything, how the Kanima/Master relationship worked and how Jackson had tried to stop himself from following Gerard's orders.
-We should have done something. -Her dad shook his head. -After you told us, we should have participated.
-There's nothing you could have done. You did help us by getting the restraining order suspended, you couldn't have done anything else.

After few minutes of silence, David talked again:
-Honey, they're waiting for us at the station, we have to give a statement. Will you be fine? -He asked, and she nodded.
-Bye, Sweetie.

They left and she went upstairs to take a shower and try to get her head off everything. She thought of reading, but she wasn't in the mood; Same for watching TV; so she just stayed there, staring at the ceiling and sobbing uncontrollably as her heart shattered in a million pieces.

She didn't sleep that night and she didn't go to school the next morning. She just didn't have the energy to face pitiful looks from basically everyone in the way; another reason why she didn't like to live in a small town; in L.A she'd only have to worry about the people at school, but in a town like Beacon Hills, the entire population knew everything about everyone.

It was almost the end of the last period and she was still sitting in her room when Derek called.-Are you at the school?
-No, I'm home. -Her voice was completely unemotive, like a robot.
-I'm going to meet Scott there. Are you coming?
-Uhm... Yeah, why not? Come pick me up.

Derek got there with Peter about ten minutes later and she was waiting at the doorstep. As she walked to the car, he took in her image; the usually cheerful, confident, sassy Carolinne now looked tired, worried and broken. They had no idea what had happened, but they could smell the anger and sadness arround her.
Even Peter chose not to talk to her, knowing that the fun "Blondie" he liked to tease was not the girl sitting behind them.

At the school they went to the boys' locker room to talk to Scott and Isaac, who were working on finding Stiles by scent. Scott had a t-shirt and Isaac had a shoe:
-But how come you get his shirt and I get a shoe?
Scott then saw Derek and Carol standing there.
-We need to talk. -Derek stated.
-All of us. -Peter came from behind a locker.
-...Holy shit. What the hell is this? -Scott questioned.
-You know, I thought the same thing when I saw you talking to Gerard at the sheriff's station.
-Ok, hold on, he, he threatened to kill my mom. And I had to get close to him, what was I supposed to do?
-I'm gonna go with Scott in this one. Have you seen his mom? She's gorgeous. -Peter said.
-Shut up. -All three looked at him.
-Who is he? -Isaac asked Scott.
-He's Peter, Derek's uncle. Little while back, he tried to kill us all and then we set him on fire and Derek slashed his throat.
-Hi. -Peter waved.
-That's good to know. -Isaac nodded, eyes wide.
-How is he alive?
-Look, the short version is, he knows how to stop Jackson. -Derek explained. -And maybe how to save him.
-Well, that's very helpful, except, Jackson's dead. -Isaac reminded them.
Both Hales stared at each other in shock and then at Carol.
-What? -Derek looked back at Scott.
-Yeah, Jackson's dead, it just happened on the field.
-Ok, why is no one taking this as good news? -Isaac questioned.
-Ask that again and it'll be the last thing you'll ever say. -Carolinne finally spoke, to everyone's surprise. She was so bitter and her voice was so cold that the glowung werewolf eyes were the least scary part of her in that moment.
-If Jackson's dead, it didn't just happen. Gerard wanted it to happen.
-But why? -Derek questioned.
-Well, that's exactly what we need to figure out. And something tells me that the window of opportunity is closing. Quickly.
-How?
-Our house. Now.

Peter, Derek, and Isaac started walking, while Scott satayed to talk to Carolinne.
-Working with him? That's something I didn't expect coming from you, Carolinne.
-Says the guy working with Gerard.
-I just told you, he threatened to kill my mom. There was nothing I could have done.
-You could heve talkes to us. You could have told us and we would have worked toghether to protect Melissa, but you chose to accept Gerard's conditions and bow my brother is dead.
-Carol, I... How long have you known about Gerard?
-I was with Derek that day at the Station.
-I'd never even imagined that Jackson could die.
-But you knew that he was under Gerard's control and you kept that to yourself.

She followed the others, not wanting to waste any more time in that argument that would lead them nowhere.

-Oh, they found Stiles! -Scott annouced as they entered the Hale House.
-Thank you, Mary! -Carol sighed with relief.
-Look, I told you. -Derek said to Peter. -I looked everywhere.
-You didn't look here. -Peter removed one of the stair steps, revealing something hidden under it.
-What is that, a book?
-No, it's a laptop. What century are you living in? -That earned Peter an exagerated eye roll from Derek. -A few days after I got out of the coma, I transferred everything that we had. Fortunately, rhe Argents aren't the only ones that keep records.

Scott's phone rang, and he stayed to talk to Melissa while Carol, Isaac, and Derek followed Peter. Soon after, he followed them too, and he looked very worried.
-What is it? -Isaac questioned.
-My mom just called me. She said that there's something very wrong eith Jackson's body.
-Should we go see it?
-Yeah. Derek, Peter, you stay and keep searching, ok?
-I'm staying too. -Carol said. -I'm not gonna study my brother's dead body, especially if something wrong with it. You go.

About half an hour later, Scott called Derek, he kept on updating Carol and Peter:
-They say he's in some kind of transparent casig made from the venom coming out of his claws.
-That sounds officially terrifying. -Peter said.
-They also say that he's starting to move.
Carol turned to him abruptly, looking happy and hopeful:
-Move?
-Yeah, he tried to attack Melissa.

She was smiling form ear to year and jumped in his arms to hug him, catching him by surprise.
-He's alive! Jackson's alive!
-Why are you laughing? -Peter looked confused.
-Because I don't think I've ever been this happy in my whole life! Oh, what if it's not just a casing? What if it's like, a cocoon?
-Possible. Look, I think I found something. Looks like what you're seeing from Jackaon is just the Kanima's Beta shape.
-Well, meaning what? It can turn into something bigger? -Derek asked.
-Bigger... And better. -Peter showed them what was on the screen.
-He's turning into that? That... Has wings.
-I can see that.
-Scott, bring him to us.
-I'm not sure we have time for that.
-Look, somebody actually made an animation of it. -Peter said. -Maybe it's less frightening, if we- He clicked to play it and it was actually more frightening, which made both Peter and Derek flich back from the jumpscare. -Nope, not at all. -He closed the laptop. But Carol wasn't frightened at all, because she knew that whatever monster that was, it was still Jackson, and he was alive. Her brother was alive, and nothing else mattered at the moment, so she had a huge smile and wide eyes, which Peter found slughtly disturbing:
-Does she always smile like that while watching creepy and gory things?
-Yeah... -Derek remembered the day they watched "The Exorcist". -She actually does.
-Well, we should probably meet them halfway.
-Scott, get him out of there now. Go now!

-Someone certainly enjoys making an entrance. -Peter rolled his eyes as they got there and Derek... Well, let's just say he arrived with style.
-Was he seriously running on all fours? What? Why?
-To make a remarkable entrance, I just said it.
-Valentino suits and Dom Pérignon champagne make a remarkable entrance. That was just... Well, hot, but where's the class? Anyway, let's just move to what's important.

Standing there with Scott and Isaac was Chris Argent.
-I'm here for Jackson. Not you. -Chris told Derek.
-Somehow I don't find that very comforting.
-If you hurt Jackson, I swear... -Carol pulled out the sharpest dagger she had.
-I meant I'm here to help him.
-It's true. -Scott said. -He wants to help.
-Get Jackson inside. -Derek instructed. Hesitantly, Carolinne put the dagger back in her waist, but kept her glare. They walked inside the warehouse and opened the bag.
-I still think we should kill him. -Derek said, which caused her to switch her glare to him instead of Chris. -I'm sorry, Carolinne, but he's gone. Gerard controls him now, he's turned Jackson into his own personal guard dog, and he set all of this in motion so that Jackson could get even bigger and more powerful.
-No. -Chris said. -No, he wouldn't do that. If Jackson's a dog, he's turning rabid, and my father wouldn't let a rabid dog live.
-Of course not. -They heard a voice coming from behind them. And standing right there, was Gerard Argent. -Anything that dangerous, that out of control... Is better off dead.