𝕭𝖆𝖉 𝖗𝖊𝖕𝖚𝖙𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓
Twenty - 2X03
Ice Pick (part one)

NATALIA JUMPS IN SURPRISE, STUMBLING BACKWARDS SLIGHTLY INTO ERICA'S DRESSER AS A PAIR OF HANDS WRAP AROUND HER WAIST, BLONDE HAIR INVADING HER EYESIGHT.

She smiles softly, almost immediately relaxing into the arms, "Hey, Erica...You okay?"

The girl lifts her head up to look at Nat with a sheepish grin, pulling away slightly from her body, "Yeah. It just feels like forever, since I last saw you..."

"Two days was a long time ago." Nat nods seriously, a smirk slowly slipping onto her lips.

Erica playfully rolls her eyes, "That doesn't count! I was being pumped full of hospital drugs two days ago! So, really, it's been three..."

Nat leans down, softly cupping the girl's jaw in her hands, "Well, then I guess we'll just have to make up for all that lost time..."

Erica nods eagerly, her smile brightening as she leans closer to Nat, "I guess, we will."

Nat closes the gap between them as she slowly leans down to kiss Erica, savouring every last bit of her.

Erica smiles into the kiss, pure bliss covering every inch of her body, before she quickly pulls away with a gasp, "I have to go to school!"

Nat snorts, gently pushing away the curls from Erica's shoulders to gain access to her neck, "So, what? You were in the hospital, two days ago. I'm sure they won't mind if you take another day off- and if they do...well, then they can always take it up with me."

Erica chews softly on her bottom lip, tilting her head in thought as her brows furrow, obviously finding it hard to break it to Nat that she wants to go school.

Nat, catching her expression, steps away from where she is gently kissing Erica's neck to give her full attention to the girl, "You really want to go to school, huh?" Nat questions, raising her hand to tuck a stray piece of hair behind Erica's ear. The girl nods, causing Nat to scrunch her nose up, looking at her in amusement, "You're so weird, you know that, right? I think you might be the only person I know, who actually wants to go to school."

"That's why you love me." Erica grins, her arms hooking around Nat's neck.

"That's why I love you," Nat agrees easily with a nod, making Erica practically beam up at her in joy. Nat rolls her eyes fondly, reluctantly moving away from her to pick up her school-bag from beside her bed, "Am I allowed to drive you to school, or is your mom still helicopter-parenting?"

Erica sighs, reaching her hand out to take the bag from Nat, who purposely moves it out of her reach, "She doesn't want me to have anymore...'accidents'. Especially, not at school..."

Nat frowns, she makes it sound like it's Erica's fault that she has seizures- it isn't like she can control when- or where- she has them!

"Yeah, great fucking job she's doing, huh?" Nat grumbles with a scowl.

Erica pauses, from where she's trying to take her bag from Nat's hands. She's silent for a beat before she raises her head, a smirk forming on her face, "Are- are you seriously mad you can climb into my bedroom-window without my mom noticing?"

Nat nods, no hint of humour evident on her face as she throws her hands up in frustration, "If I can get in do it, think about who else can get in!"

Erica giggles, "Who else would want to climb into my bedroom-window?"

"That's not the point!"

Erica laughs, using Nat's distraction to grab her bag from the girl's hands, "Well, it's not like your just anyone now is it, Natalia Hayes?"

"That's very true...," Nat grins, stepping closer to Erica to press a soft kiss to her lips, "I'll see you later. Just promise me you'll be careful today, okay?"

"I promise. See you later," Erica agrees softly, watching Nat leave with a smile. As soon as Nat climbs out onto the roof, Erica runs forward, "Nat!" Natalia turns around with a hum, jolting slightly when Erica presses a kiss to her mouth. She tightens her hold on the window-sill in surprise, "Don't leave it three days to see me again."

"Got it; two days, at most." Nat smirks, jumping down from the roof and onto the grass bellow with a small thump.

"Natalia!" Erica yells in mock indignation, a fond smile on her face.

──────────────────

"HEY, DEREK! I KNOW YOU'RE OUT HERE." NATALIA SHOUTS, HER VOICE ECHOING AROUND THE BURNT-OUT SHELL OF (WHAT ONCE WAS) THE HALE HOUSE.

Her boots click against the wooden floor as she stalks around the house, her eyes flickering into every room she passes in search of the man, "Come on, Derek! Don't be such a dick!"

She stops in the middle of the house, right in front of the large staircase (there's no way she's going up there, it's a death-hazard waiting to happen!) she throws her hands up in exasperation, when all that answers her is pure, deafening silence, "Derek, It's nothing bad! I just want to know how Isaac is, he isn't responding to any of my texts!"

"Why?" Derek questions, seeming to appear from the shadows right beside her. Nat jumps slightly, turning on her heels to glare at him.

"Do I have to have a reason?" Nat counters, making Derek raise an unimpressed eyebrow. Nat scoffs, rolling her eyes at the werewolf, "Listen, the last thing we need is a psycho-beta running around. I'm just here to make sure that doesn't happen."

Nat knows she's lying, and she knows Derek knows it too- there's no way he can't, he's probably listening to her heartbeat right now, the creepy-fuck!

Ever since she met the boy on the bench, she can't help but worry for him.

The way he flinched when his father neared him, the beaten-down puppy look he has when someone so much as speaks too loud to him...

The boy's fear-ridden face is imprinted in her mind- nearly as much as his blood-thirsty-werewolf-face is- and at just the thought of him, guilt bleeds into her bones, infecting her whole body and making her itch all over.

She didn't help him...

She isn't any better than the onlookers in her life; the ones who ignored her call for help- her call for a way out- for her freedom.

The only reason she ever got out, was because she made sure her call was un-ignorable- that it was so loud, someone, somewhere, had to do something.

She got herself out of her father's grasp- no one else.

Her.

Alone.

She remembers vividly, the feeling of relief she felt as she was being pulled away into the police car- and even with cuffs tight on her wrist, it was the freest she'd ever felt in her whole-entire life.

Anywhere away from her father's reign of terror, is better...

"He's fine," Derek allows, shifting uncomfortably, (probably at the social interaction, Nat muses), "Alive."

"Wow. Thank you, Derek," Nat nods, her face unimpressed, "He's 'alive', that's all I get?"

Derek rolls his eyes, turning his back on the girl as he begins to walk deeper into- what was left of- his childhood home, "There's nothing more to say."

"Well, a description more than 'he's fine', or he's 'alive', would suffice." Nat retorts, following after the man in hope of getting more information.

Derek turns back to her with a sarcastic grin, "He's great. Goodbye, Natalia."

Nat shakes her head, watching as he prowls away from her- probably to brood in a dark, creepy corner somewhere, "Yeah...you're a real asshole, you know that?"

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"NAT, YOU OKAY SWEETHEART?" THE SWEET VOICE OF MELLISA ASKS, A SMILE ON HER FACE AS SHE PLACES A REASURING HAND ON NAT'S SHOULDER.

Nat shakes her head, gently pushing past Melissa to continue on her path through the hospital corridors, determination in every step she takes forward.

"Nat?" she questions, following after the teen in confusion, "Is there something wrong? Are you injured?" Melissa stops herself in front of Nat, forcing her to halt her movements, as she looks over the teen with avid worry, "Natalia, talk to me."

"Erica." is the only word that slips past her lips, her voice sounding distant as her eyes gaze past Melissa in search of any sign of the blonde girl.

"Ah, Erica, of course...," Melissa mumbles, looking at her in sympathy, "they just brought her in about five minutes ago."

Nat, for the first time since she arrived, drags her eyes up to meet Melissa's, "Yeah...Yes, where- where is she?"

"I'm sorry, honey. But, you know, I can't tell you that..."

"But-" Nat tries.

"I'm sorry, Nat. I can't. It's private information...and her parents don't want her to have any visitors at the moment."

Nat scoffs, anger seeping into her features, "How is that fair?!"

"It's what they want." Melissa responds regretfully, obviously not happy with the parent's decisions to deprive Erica of visitors either.

"And what about what she wants?"

"She's under eighteen and in their care, It's their choice..."

"Are they even here with her?" Nat inquires, scoffing and shaking her head once again when Melissa doesn't answer her, opting instead to look away sadly.

Of course, they aren't!

Her shoulders suddenly slump as though all her anger has rushed out of her body, replaced only by sorrow and regret.

It's unfair of Nat to take her anger out on Mellisa, especially when all she wants to do is help. She runs an exhausted hand across her face, "Then...just, tell me, is she okay?"

"Nat-"

"Please." she pleads, her eyes heating up at the thought of Erica suffering alone.

"She's okay," Melissa mutters after a few seconds of hesitance, "She had a seizure during gym class, Scott found her."

Nat nods, she knows this. Stiles had rung her only mere minutes after the incident, telling her what had happened and how Erica was calling out her name as she feel into unconsciousness.

Erica had been calling her name.

Hers.

And, Nat wasn't there.

Erica needed her and Nat wasn't there.

Nat distantly remembers her and Erica's time in the woods. They had walked hand in hand, as Nat promised Erica she would protect her.

And now she's lying hurt in a hospital bed. For the second time, this week.

She isn't helping her, she's tainting her- corrupting her!

"Natalia, she is okay," Melissa continues, upon seeing her unconvinced face, "She's just resting now. Do you want me to tell her you were here?"

Nat shakes her head, "No. No, its okay." She'd rather tell her herself.

After leaving Melissa with the promise of returning home- one they both know she won't follow- she stalks down the hospital hallway, peering into each of the rooms she passes.

Room 11, Room 12, Room 1-

She halts her steps, her eyes catching ahold of the fragile form of Erica as she sits patiently in a hospital bed far too big for her. The girl is playing with the covers of her light-blue bedding as her eyes stare blankly in front of her, the joy and happiness Nat has been so used to seeing on her face, replaced by nothing but a blank-mask.

Nat hesitates for a beat, her hand placed firmly on the door handle.

Doesn't Erica even want anyone to see her?

Does Erica even want to see her?

Maybe it wasn't only her parents, who want her to be alone- maybe she does too...?

Well...there's only one way to find out.

As soon as she opens the door, Erica's head swivels towards her- no anger, betrayal, or disappointment on her face, just plain sadness.

"Nat..." she mumbles, her void face immediately crumbling as she begins to sob at the sight of Nat.

Nat freezes in the doorway, her eyes wide, does she want her to leave?

"Nat." Erica cries louder, her hands coming up to cover her face as tears rain freely from her eyes.

Nat's body moves on autopilot as she wraps her arms around Erica, pulling the girl close to her chest in a comforting gesture.

"Nat." Erica splutters.

Her arms reach up to grab onto the back of Natalia's jacket as she buries her head into her girlfriend's chest, sobs wracking her frame.

Nat's arms tighten around the girl protectively, as she whispers reassurances, "I'm here, I'm here."

Erica bites back her sobs as she lifts her head up to look at Nat in the eye, "I- I hate this."

"Hate, what?" Nat prompts, gently.

"This-...me," Erica let's out another loud cry, "Why am I like this? I can't even do one simple gym class, without seizing!"

Erica's tears of misery now turn in to anger, her fists clenching into fists at her side as she pulls away from Nat.

Nat moves backwards slightly, but stays sat on the bed beside her, allowing her space, but staying just close enough that she can reach out and comfort her again, if need be.

"Erica-?"

"No!" Erica yells, her eyes wide with rage, "All I want is to be normal! All I-"

"You are!" Nat argues, trying to deter Erica's way of thinking before it can continue and turn into something much darker (something she knows all too well), "God, you let your condition control you! It's like you think it's your only trait!"

"Because, I have to! If I don't, I could die, Nat!"

"Well, with the way that you're going, you will!" Nat shouts, letting the anger that she feels at Erica's confession erupt from her chest, "The one thing that I told you to do this morning, was to 'be careful'! And then I find out you've been rushed to hospital, for the second time this week!"

"God, you sound just like my mom!" Erica growls, "Always blaming me for my illness. I didn't ask for it!"

"I'm not blaming you! All I want is for you to be safe! I don't want to see you hurt, Erica, don't you understand that?"

"Well, I'm sorry, I'm such a burden to you, Natalia." Erica retorts, her sad-tone contrasting to the furious look in her eyes.

"You're not a burden, Erica," Nat immediately protests, shaking her head rapidly, "For fuck's sake, stop twisting my words!"

Erica scoffs, turning her head away from Nat pointedly, "Well, that's what it sounded like."

Nat shakes her head, pushing herself up from where she's sat at Erica's side to run a hand through her hair in frustration, "I just-...I just don't understand who you're trying to prove yourself too. So, what, you can't do something in gym class? who cares!?"

"I do!" Erica bellows, "I care! It's me, I have to prove myself too! You know, I thought that if I could do this one stupid thing in gym class, I would feel better..."

"And, do you?" Nat pries, "Do you feel better?" she scoffs at Erica's lack of a answer, shaking her head once again, "I thought that you..."

"You thought, what?" Erica inquires venomously, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I don't know...I guess, I wasn't. That's the problem," she lifts her head up towards the roof of the room- anywhere away from Erica's bloodshot eyes- a shaky breath releasing from her lungs, "You make me...irrational...I can't think clearly, when I'm with you and...when I'm away from you, all I think about is you, Erica. Nothing else, and-...and that..." she trails, shaking her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts, "I just- can't...-"

"A-are- are you...breaking up with me?" Erica questions, her voice shaky- nothing like the anger that had been infecting it only moments prior, and somehow, that only makes everything worse.

Anger; Nat can deal with.

Her whole childhood had been filled up with ever-growing anger and violence.

It's in her blood.

But the tears in Erica's eyes, the sadness in her voice, and the melancholy atmosphere that's currently suffocation her lungs?

She has no clue where to even start.

Nat takes a deep breath, her eyes falling to the ground in shame, "I- I just think that maybe...maybe, I've been rushing this- us- and...I think, that you need more time to...well, think. For yourself."

"No, Nat-!"

"Erica, please," Nat begs, her voice cracking slightly as she struggles to hold back the waterfall of tears that threaten to fall from her eyes, "This is already as hard as it needs to be...We...," she inhales shakily, practically having to force the words from her throat, "We just need some time to figure this out and to- and to give you some time to recover."

Erica shakes her head rapidly in denial, "I don't need time to recover, Nat, I need you!" Nat shakes her head as tears finally begin to fall from her eyes. Erica nods quickly in response, her eyes pleading, "I do! Nat, please, please. You are the only good thing that is in life, right now, and I- I love you! Nat, I love you."

Nat chokes out a sob, she desperately wants to say it back and collect Erica into her arms and hold her like nothing had ever happened. But she can't ignore this.

She has to do this.

For Erica (she'll only destroy her, anyway- it's in her genes to that to the ones she loves).

"I'm- I'm sorry."

Nat turns sharply, raising her hand to cover her mouth, in an attempt to smother her cries, as she leaves Erica's room, the girl shouting after her to 'come back', as her own snobs echo after her.

She doesn't turn back.

No matter how much she wants to.

No matter how much her heart pleads her to.

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OUT OF ALL THE THINGS NAT THOUGHT SHE WOULD BE DOING TONIGHT, ESPECIALLY AFTER HER BREAK-UP WITH ERICA, CLIMBING INTO ALLISON ARGENT'S WINDOW WASN'T ONE OF THEM.

The girl had sent her a mysterious text, telling her to 'come over', and when asked 'why', she had simply evaded all of her questions.

Which now leads Nat to where she is now, one of her legs through Allison's window, the other placed firmly on her roof.

Nat sighs, looking down towards the ground, wondering if it's too late to leave, her heavy-heart feeling even more obvious since she left her house.

Maybe, she can leave before Allison even sees her...

"'Talia!" Allison greets with a soft smile, as she enters her room, "you came!"

Never mind.

"You didn't really give me any choice," Nat mumbles, pushing herself fully into Allison's room, "I thought you were being held hostage, or something."

Allison snorts, "Well, nice to know you'd come save me, if I ever get held hostage!" she reaches her hand out to grip onto Nat's arm, pulling the con towards her bed with a grin, "Stay here!"

Nat exhales loudly as she sits on the edge of Allison's bed, her head dropping into her hands, as she hears the girl's bedroom door close once more.

Ever since she left the hospital, it felt like her whole body is on fire. Like, without Erica, her body is shutting down, refusing to function properly.

Her heart convulses painfully in her chest, feeling as though there's an anchor weighing it down in her body. And each time her heart pulses, it screams her name, over and over again- begging, pleading for her.

Nat clenches her eyes shut, silently begging for all the noise to just...stop.

She just wants silence.

She doesn't want all the 'what if's' swimming around her head- she doesn't want the sound of everything but Erica's voice flowing into her ears- and she definitely doesn't want the sound of her lungs painfully inhaling an 'Erica-less' air, each breath feeling as though she's inhaled toxic gas that's slowly corrupting her lungs until her inevitable death...

It feels like she's dying.

Like her body has aged one-hundred years, and is crippling under the weight of her.

She feels alone- something she hasn't really felt in a very long while (it's kind of impossible to feel that way being around Scott and Stiles all of the time).

Nat had been alone for a long while before Erica- but somehow the loneliness is worse now, then it was then.

She had gotten a taste for what life with Erica is like, and now she can't possibly live without it- without her!

The feeling of solitary, that she used to (somewhat) enjoy, feels extra-terrestrial to her now. It makes her want to carve her heart from her body and dispose of it. She hates this feeling. She wants it gone. She wants-

A small tap on her arm, brings her back from her thoughts.

Her eyes peel open to see a cold box of some-sort pressed up against her arm. Allison shakes the box lightly, giving her a view of the label.

'Cookie and cream flavoured Ice-cream.'

Nat furrows her eyebrows, trailing her eyes up to meet Allison's in confusion. The girl wears a sympathetic smile as she wiggles two spoons in front of Nat's face, "It's cookies and cream," when Nat doesn't say anything in response, Allison continues, bringing up her other hand to show off the DVD she holds, "And I got ratatouille..."

"You know." Nat states, her voice void of emotion.

Allison sighs, deflating slightly, "Yeah...Scott told me. I'm really sorry, 'Talia, I know you really liked her..."

It's quite for a moment, before Nat nods (purposefully not mentioning how much the word 'liked' is such a weak description for her love for Erica). Her shoulders slump as she looks up at Allison with a soft, uncertain smile, "I love cookies and cream."

Allison beams, passing the ice-cream and spoons off to her, "I know, Scott also told me that."

Nat pulls back the lid, scooping a chunk of ice cream into her mouth as she watches Allison fiddle around with the DVD player in mild-interest, "So, what's ratatouille about?"

Allison gasps scandalously, dropping the DVD case to the floor in her shock, "You don't know what ratatouille is?!"

Nat raises an eyebrow, "I was a criminal in a gang, running from the cops every two seconds, do you really think I had any time to stop and catch up on films?"

Allison shakes her head, gaping in shock, "That's no excuse! This is ratatouille!" she presses play on the remote, before turning to Nat in disbelief as the intro begins to play on the screen behind her, "It is a movie that has inspired millions-"

"It's got a rat on the front-" Nat interrupts incredulously, pointing her spoon towards where the case still lies, discarded on the floor.

"Don't talk about Chef Remy like that!" Allison exclaims, pointing an accusatory finger in her direction.

"Who the fuck is Chef Remy?" Nat laughs, her chest already feeling lighter at Allison's antics.

"You are so uncultured." Allison cries, dropping onto the bed next to Nat in a dramatic show, her hand draped over her brow.

Nat chuckles, holding out the other spoon for Allison to take as the two get comfy on the bed, the screen falling dark as the movie starts to play.

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NAT SLIDES INTO THE SEAT NEXT TO SCOTT, WATCHING AS STILES TALKS TO A BOY ON ANOTHER TABLE, "WHAT IS HE DOING?"

"Trying to get the keys to the ice rink," Scott answers before jumping slightly, seeming to only just realise who exactly he's talking to, "Nat! Hey, how are you doing? Are you okay?"

"Fine," she replies sharply, "You guys still doing the whole double-date thing then, huh?"

Scott looks at her hesitantly, "Yeah..."

Nat rolls her eyes, "I'm not gonna break down every time you mention 'dating' or 'girlfriends', you know?"

"Yeah, I know." Scott nods, but despite his words, he looks the complete opposite of confident.

Nat almost feels offended at his lack of trust in her.

Stiles walks over to the duo with a shit eating grin, holding out the keys for them both to see, "Got 'em. You sure you don't wanna come Nat?"

Nat nods, "I'm sure. Just tell me everything that happens later- leaving out all the messy details, of course."

"But those are the best parts!" he grins, making Nat smile back at him slightly, happy at least someone's still treating her the same as normal. The boy turns to Scott, raising a brow, "Pick you up right after work tonight, and we'll all meet at the rink, cool?"

Nat turns to look at Scott in confusion, when he doesn't answer Stiles, only to find the boy staring off behind them both, his face set in pure shock.

She furrows her eyebrows, following his eyes to the cafeteria doors just in time to see- Erica?!

The girl walks through the doors, confidence in her every high-heeled step, as a venomous smirk covers her face (something that looks so out-of-place on her face, that it makes Nat feel nauseous).  She wears a white tank top and a very short black skirt, showing off her tanned figure perfectly, as it hugs every single one of her curves, in a way that seems to suggest that the outfit was made solely for her to wear.

Nat's heart crumbles at the sight.

Everything about her is so different- nothing at all like the loving-girl Nat thought she knew...

That girl is long gone, now replaced by someone new- someone Nat has never met before.

The girl Nat fell in love with, is gone- as good as dead.

And so, Natalia mourns, not just for their relationship, but for Erica- her Erica.

The soft-hearted girl who cries at how to train your dragon, and braids Nat's hair into tiny little intricate plaits as Nat sketches something (which will most likely end up pinned to Erica's wall, a few days later).

Gone, is the girl who enjoys baking cookies and brownies with Nat, dancing around to old-love songs as they do so.

Gone.

All of their memories with each other, to.

All of it- gone.

Erica leans down, stealing an apple from a boy's lunch-tray and taking a huge bite out of it, before wiping her lip seductively, her eyes trained on Natalia the whole time; taunting her, challenging her.

Lydia slams her hands down on to their lunch table, jolting the three of them out of their daze, her own eyes wide in shock, "What...the holy hell...is that?"

"It's Erica." Scott answers simply, his eyes flickering over to Nat in an attempt to gauge her reaction. Nat gives none. Not willing to give in to Erica's beg for attention.

Nat stares back unrelentingly at Erica, her brown eyes never once leaving hers- Nat never has one to back down from a challenge...

The blonde leaves as quickly as she appeared, the clicking of her leopard print heels echoing behind her as she disappears into the corridor, only stopping once to glance back at Nat, the expression on her face unreadable.

Scott and Stiles jump to their feet, rushing to follow after the girl, leaving Nat alone with Lydia, both of the girls staring at the door Erica had just left from in silence.

"What. The. Fuck?" Lydia demands, shaking her strawberry-blonde locks and stalking away from the table, becoming distracted by the sight of Allison at the other-end of the cafeteria.

Yeah, Nat thinks bitterly, what the fuck?

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(3618 words)
Written - 02/11/2022
Edited - 26/08/2023
Edited - 10/02/2024

author's notes,
I would say i hope you enjoyed, but this chapter was kinda depressing ngl lmao
Thanks for reading!!
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