| ?????????, ?????? ???????

Reese wiped her mouth just as Stiles flails his arms. "That's big... No one said it was that big!"

"I did." Liam said.

The Beast roars at them and Jordan who flicks out his claws, bursting into flames— roars back.

The Beast rushes down the bus, busting through the windshield and running into the woods— Jordan chasing after him.

"What the hell is happening?" Scott asked, stunned.

Argent sighed.

"It's getting smarter."

»»————-　➴　————-««

The sterile light above flickers faintly as Reese stands frozen in front of the sink, her eyes locked on the test lying on the counter.

Two pink lines.

Her breath catches. Everything around her feels suddenly distant—muted, like she's underwater. Her heart pounds so loudly it's all she can hear.

She takes a shaky step back, running both hands through her hair, her scrubs suddenly too tight, too warm.

"No, no... no. This can't be real." She whispered.

She paces a tight circle, like if she keeps moving, the reality won't stick.

"This is not the time for this. What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

A soft knock sounds at the door.

"Reese? You alright?" Melissa asked.

"Yeah, I'm—" Her voice cracks. "Can you come in?"

The door creaks open and Melissa steps inside, immediately clocking the panic written all over Reese's face. Her gaze drops to the counter. She sees it.

Her features soften.

"Oh, Reese." She said softly.

Reese's arms wrap around herself tightly like she's holding herself together. She shakes her head, eyes brimming.

"This is a disaster. I'm pregnant, and there's a monster on the loose killing people, and I'm over here having a full-blown meltdown in the staff bathroom."

Melissa closes the door behind her, quiet and steady, listening as Reese rambles.

"This is such a mess. I don't have time for this. We don't have time for this. I don't even know how to tell Jordan. What if he freaks out? What if he thinks I ruined everything?"

Melissa blinks at her like she just spoke another language.

"Jordan? Freak out? The same Jordan who practically lights up every time you walk into a room? The guy who looks at you like you hung the moon?" Melissa asked in disbelief.

Reese starts pacing again, eyes darting like she's searching for a way out of this entire situation.

"This isn't what we planned. I mean—we never even talked about kids. What if he panics? What if this makes him realize he's not ready and he just... pulls away?" Her voice cracks this time.

Melissa grabs Reese's shoulders, firm but kind, grounding her.

"Hey. Look at me."

Reese meets her eyes, barely holding it together.

"You're talking like you don't know him." She said. "Jordan is crazy about you. Like, annoyingly in love. The man would carry you through a burning building and thank you for the honor. This? He's not going anywhere."