Once in a Lifetime

32

Melissa pressed down on the syringe. "Okay, Lydia, this is gonna hurt like a bitch."

They helped Lydia up and walked towards the elevator. Lydia winced with every step.

Stiles turned to Scott. "Okay. I'll get Malia. Text me when you find Parrish. Tabi, don't do anything reckless like Steve. Scott, she gets hurt, or worse, you're a dead man."

Scott nodded and said, "Hold on." He pulled out a package wrapped in brown paper.

"What's this?"

"Something Tabi and I've been working on for awhile. Just make sure Malia gets it."

Stiles studied the package. "Is it Plan B?"

"It was Plan A," Tabitha told him.

Stiles frowned at her. "Plan A never works."

"This one will," Scott told him.

Stiles nodded and turned to Tabitha. "Be careful, okay?" He kissed her and darted off.

Tabitha smiled. "You too."

They entered the tunnels and a sound caught Liam's attention. "Scott? You hear that?"

"I heard that," Lydia said softly.

Tabitha shook her head. "Save your voice."

"Hey... Lydia, get out of the water!" Liam yelled.

Tabitha pushed her out of the water and Lydia pulled her from the water just in time. Scott and Liam weren't so lucky and got electrocuted. They let out a pained scream. Theo appeared and threw Lydia down a grate and Scott caught her.

Scott fell, suddenly paralyzed.

"Feel that, Scott?" Theo asked. "Kanima venom."

Tabitha made sparks, ready to blast Theo.

Lydia let out a scream of pain and against her urge to seriously maim Theo, Tabitha made the sparks disappear and helped her friend up.

Lydia stopped in front of a door and they tried to open it. Tabitha tried using her magic to blast it open, but it didn't do anything.

Kira appeared and used her sword to pierce the wood. The door opened. "Sorry I'm late."

Tabitha nodded. "Perfect timing."

Kira smiled and they ran into the room.

Lydia yelled in a weak voice, "Mason!"

Kira glanced at her. "I think you're gonna need to try a little louder."

Lydia nodded and yelled louder, "Mason!"

The Beast was encased in black smoke and the smoke filled the room before dissipating. Corey materialized from the wall and hugged Mason.

The Beast appeared in the black smoke and tried to escape. Parrish, who was flaming, held him back with a struggle. "Scott!"

Scott picked up the cane/sword and threw it into the middle of the smoky Beast. "No!"

The smoky Beast dissipated and Scott looked around. "Is everyone okay?"

"Not everyone," Theo replied, lightning surrounding him. He shot a bolt at Scott.

Tabitha and Kira blocked the bolts with their magic and sword.

"The Skinwalkers have a message for you, Theo," Kira told him. "Your sister wants to see you."

Kira raised her sword and stabbed the ground. A crack formed and made its way towards Theo. A hole opened up and a girl rose halfway from the hole. She grabbed Theo's ankles and pulled him down.

"Scott, help me!" Theo cried. "Tabitha! No! No! Scott! Help me, Scott. No! Scott! Tabitha! Help me!"

Tabitha stared blankly a moment, then rushed to help Theo, but couldn't pull him up.

She watched as the red dissipated from inside and flew up, disappearing in the air.

The words of the prophecy resonated in her mind. 'A choice one must make, to save or raze. Not of the world that turns, but of the soul within.'

In trying to save Theo, she had saved herself.

The witch made her way to the station and listened to the sheriff. "You saved their lives. Mason. Malia. Half the population of Beacon Hills. That's got to feel pretty good."

Stiles nodded. "It did. For awhile."

"But it's something you want to feel again."

"Yeah. Yeah, I think so."

Sheriff Stilinski smiled. "Welcome to your future career in law enforcement."

Tabitha smiled and joined the two. "I'm proud of you, Stiles." She noticed her mother and said, "I did it, Mom. The prophecy."

Robin smiled. "I never doubted you." She hugged her tightly and Tabitha reciprocated.

---

They made their way to the library and met up with Lydia and Scott.

Tabitha sighed. "I wish Kira didn't have to leave."

Lydia turned to her. "But she'll be back. She still has to graduate."

Stiles glanced at his girlfriend and took her hand. "That's the thing, though, I don't know... When we started this school year, I was so stressed about everyone ending up in the same place after we graduate. But I don't think it matters. We always seem to find each other anyway." He turned to Scott. "Even Allison. He didn't tell you. It was in the tunnels... When Sebastien had his hands around Scott's throat. The guy probably didn't even know what he was doing. His claws got into Scott's neck. He was going to kill him, but then he stopped and he said a name... Marie-Jeanne."

"He saw Scott's memories."

"He saw Allison."

"They must have looked like each other."

Tabitha shook her head. "Guessing from the reaction, they must have looked exactly alike."

Stiles nodded and continued. "It gave Scott a chance to break free. She saved him. Allison saved him."

Tabitha smiled. "She saved all of us. So I guess she's not so bad after all."

The witch walked away and looked at the book containing information about the Ghost Riders. She read it, with a struggle, realizing that things were about to get a lot more worrisome.