"ALLISOOOOOOOOOON!" Lydia felt the scream tear itself from deep within her chest. She felt it crawl up her throat and throw itself from her mouth. In that instant, she knew that her best friend was dying. She knew she would be dead by the time she reached her body.

Lydia slid to the floor in a heap next to Stiles' motionless body, sobbing into his shoulder. He couldn't feel her though. He didn't wrap his arms around her, didn't tell her it would be okay. Lydia had never felt more alone and shattered than she had in that moment. Her best friend would be dead soon. Her other best friend was dying as she cried into his jacket. Lydia had no idea how long she sat there slumped against Stiles. She felt the very life leave her friend, felt the world become harsher and colder in a matter of seconds. She desperately wanted to rush to Allison's side. Even though she knew Allison was long gone she needed to see her, hold her; but she couldn't leave Stiles. She would never leave him to die in this cold, dark tunnel.

She could hear commotion outside, but still she didn't move. Eventually she lifted herself away from Stiles and put her hands on either side of his face. His skin was cold to the touch and he was pale; paler than normal. She put her forehead against his and whispered, "Please wake up. Please Stiles. You have to wake up...please, please, please..." She said it like a mantra over and over again, her tears falling onto Stiles' cheeks.

Suddenly he began to stir, but was clearly still very frail. Lydia pulled away from him while he struggled to open his eyes and focus on her face.

"Lydia..." He murmured.

"I'm here. I'm here." She said through her tears. "Come on, Stiles. You have to get up. I have to get you out of here."

"Get Scott...I don't think I can walk." Stiles said, struggling to stand. "Lydia." He had realized her face was streaked with tears. "Lydia, what happened? What's going on? Is someone hurt?"

"Allison...Allison." It was all Lydia could get out before she began to choke on her tears. It felt as though she would never catch her breath again. She had never felt a pain like this. It was spreading through her like a sickness, poisoning her with grief. Stiles looked at her with horrified eyes. She watched as his eyes began to swim in tears.

"Go to her, Lydia." He said, softly.

"I can't leave you." Lydia replied, "I'm not leaving without you."

As much as she wanted to see Allison, she couldn't bear to leave him behind. She was terrified. He was so cold and pale and she could feel a sickening ache beginning in her stomach. He needed help or he was going to die too...

Lydia wrapped her arms around him, hoisted him up with surprising strength and together they began the slow journey to the end of the tunnel. When they reached the gate, Lydia realized she was no longer crying. She felt sick and numb and scared. Stiles was barely conscious and began to slip from her grip. She couldn't hold him any longer. Just before they both fell to the ground Kira and her mother appeared reaching out to Stiles to catch him.

"Go!" Kira's mother said. "Go to her...we'll look after him. We'll take him to our home and keep him safe. Go. Now!"

Lydia didn't want to leave Stiles with someone else, but she had to. She looked at him one last time and he nodded his head as if to say it's okay, I'm okay. Lydia nodded her head in return and ran past the Yukimuras into the courtyard.

The sight that met her eyes was a horrifying one. Scott was kneeling on the ground, his back to her. All she could see of Allison was the top of her head and the bottom of her dark boots. Scott was clinging to her as though he were trying to force life back into her, as though he were begging death to take him instead.

Chris was there. He was trying to pry Scott away from Allison's body. She could see the tears trailing down his cheeks as he forced Scott to look away from Allison and into his face. "Scott. She's gone. You have to let her go. We can't stay here like this. The police will be here soon. We need to be prepared."

Scott roughly wiped away his tears and gently laid Allison gently on the ground. Scott looked as though he were going to be sick as he stumbled toward the chain link fence surrounding the area. Chris looked at his daughter with a terrible grief and longing in his eyes before moving towards Scott. There was so much blood on the ground. Lydia couldn't understand how the body could carry so much blood.

Lydia slowly stumbled towards her best friend. She fell to her knees next to her, and gently brushed the hair away from Allison's face. She looked so peaceful, as though she were merely sleeping and would awake any moment. But, Lydia knew better. She leaned over to plant a kiss on Allison's forehead and whispered, "Thank you, Allison. I love you, I love you, I love you." She buried her face into Allison's limp form and cried until she heard sirens, felt Scott lifting her from the ground, leading her to a car and helping her in. She couldn't process what was going on anymore. She didn't care. All Lydia could think about was how Allison had died while trying to save her. She had willingly put her life in danger for Lydia. She was gone. Allison was gone and she was never coming back...

Images of cold morgues, funerals, a motionless, colorless, empty world without Allison Argent in it flooded her mind. It was all too much. She buried her face in her hands as though she could block everything out. There would be no blocking this out though. Not now, not ever.