CHAPTER 10

Scott

"So…how are you today, Mr. McCall?"

"Well, I'm fine, I guess…um…I haven't…I didn't get a lot of sleep last night…"

"How many hours do you manage to get a night?"

"If I'm lucky an hour or two. Anytime time I do sleep I get…really vivid nightmares. But, most nights I don't sleep…at all."

"Have you tried using melatonin?"

"Yes, but it doesn't work."

"I see…anything else that's troubling you?"

"I have trouble concentrating on things. I've had a few panic attacks in the last couple of weeks. At least one every few days."

"Have you had a history of anxiety?"

"Not really, but…it's gotten pretty bad lately."

"Well, Mr. McCall, it would appear that you just have a simple case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."

"PTSD? I thought only war veterans got that."

"It can happen to anyone if that person has experienced a traumatic event. Have you experienced any trauma? Emotionally or physically?"

"Yes…about a month ago…mentally, I guess you could say."

"In that case, I can recommend some anti-depressants. I'll see about getting you something to handle your anxiety and maybe it can get your sleeping schedule back on track."

"Thank you, Dr. Bamford."

"Additionally, have you experienced any vivid memories or flashbacks of this traumatic event?"

{3 days ago}

Light began to slowly creep into my room as morning began to displace night. Birds began to chirp pedantically as the new day began.

Another sleepless night.

My eyes were dry and stinging from staring at my ceiling all night. I was exhausted, yet I couldn't sleep. My hand subconsciously gravitated to my left, looking for Stiles even though I knew he wasn't there. He had gone back to his house after his health had improved and he no longer needed a walking stick to get around. I looked over, still expecting him to be laying there, snoring obnoxiously with his mouth hanging open. Even though Stiles came over quite often, I find myself dreading the moments I'm forced to be with myself. I tuned in hopefully to find another heartbeat in the house other than my mom, but to no avail. Isaac had been splitting his time between Derek and Chris Argent, but neither apparently had the discretion to tell me, or anyone for that matter, why. It's been weeks since he's been at the house.

Recently, I had to return to school because I've been missing too many days to the point I wouldn't graduate on time if I didn't go. Everyone outside the pack shoot me nervous glances like I'm going to either fall apart or go on a rampage. I feel their eyes boring into my back in the classroom or when I'm walking down the hallway and it makes me feel like I'm suffocating. My teachers slowly gave me pieces of make up work to make sure I was caught up but made a point of saying that I could take all the time I needed to get it done. I never thought I would be so annoyed at the idea of having no deadline.

They haven't said it, but I know Stiles and Lydia feel the exact same way, if not more. Yet, I'm the only one that doesn't proactively try to deflect the attention for when one of us gets overwhelmed from being in the spotlight unwillingly. I feel bad about it, but they always brush it off.

It would've been safe to assume that my accelerated healing would've helped with the grogginess and soreness that accompany the loss of a couple of night's sleep but, apparently, werewolves need their sleep too. My body felt like it had taken a couple of blows from a wrecking ball. Getting out of bed was almost nearly as difficult as finding the motivation to actually go to school at all.

Another sleepless night.

…

Stiles

It was like it was alive and looking at me, staring me down as I tossed myself out of bed and slipped on my clothes. It felt like this huge hole in the wall. I tried to ignore it as best as I could as I disappeared into my bathroom to gel my hair and brush my teeth but it was still as disconcerting as it had been, if not more. I couldn't ignore it any longer.

I strode up to the makeshift crime board, cluttered with photographs, forms, documents, all connected by several strands of red strings. I picked off photograph after photograph and barely gave it the time of day before I tossed it in the wastebin. One by one, I ripped out the string and several papers that had been pinned into the board.

There was a voice that came from my door, "Hey." I looked over my shoulder to see my dad in the doorway. He cocked his head toward the board and said, "What'cha doing?"

I looked back and forth between the board and my father, "Uh, just…clearing my head." I muttered. He nodded subtly and shifted out of the door frame. I smirked after him as I tore out the last few pieces of evidence from the board and added it to the waste pile, leaving the board blank and empty, ready for the next mystery Beacon Hills had in store for it.

…

Scott

I shifted my motorbike into place and switched it off. I could already feel people looking at me as I slipped off my helmet, as if I was some animal on display. Not even 15 seconds later, Stiles' Jeep pulled into the spot next to mine. I stood by as Stiles slipped out of his seat.

"Hey, Scotty." he said with a small grin.

"Hey, man." I said a little too softly. We clapped out a hug and walked together towards the front entrance to the school. I noticed Kira's car parked next to Lydia's blue Toyota. Almost involuntarily, I tuned in to the voices inside the school until I could find her's.

"I wish I could say something to him."

My heart made a quick skip. I pricked my ear to try and listen more.

"I wish I could say something to all of them. I don't know how much space or time I'm supposed to give them…"

I pulled open the heavy doors of the school and Kira was standing impishly next to Lydia's locker. I locked my eyes on her.

"I know I'm still just the new girl at school…"

Lydia made eye contact with a girl walking by with Coach and muttered, "Not for long."

I saw the girl's face and realized it was Malia. The girl that had been missing for almost 8 years. As she passed, she shot Stiles and I a knowing smile and we returned it without hesitation.

…

Stiles and I were at our lockers when a familiar scent caught my nose and I turned to see Isaac slowly making his way over to us. Stiles and I exchanged glances, given we had barely heard anything from him since the funeral.

"I'll meet you in homeroom, man." Stiles said.

I nodded as Isaac closed the gap between us. He didn't look as disheveled as he usually did, but I could tell something was bothering him.

"Hey," I said to him.

"Um…hey.." His voice was soft but had an edge to it. There was a silence between us as I waited for him to talk. His eyes shifted back and forth, not wanting to meet mine. I looked around and lowered my voice, "Where have you been? You haven't answered any calls, any texts…we've been worried about you."

The bell rang and everyone started making their way to their first class of the day, leaving the hallway almost empty, save a few milling students.

Isaac massaged his neck in discomfort, "I know…I know…um…I need to tell you something…"

"What is it? Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, I'm ok…I just…I wanted to tell you that I'm-"

"McCall! Lahey!" A sharp voice down the hall pierced the silent halls. Mrs. Truvo was walking towards us, flinging her arms up in exasperation, "Last I checked you two are supposed to be in my Math class!" Isaac and I looked back and forth, embarrassed. She stuck out her arm towards her classroom, "Step to! Come on!" I hastily shut the locker and the two of us sped walk over to the classroom. "Talk to me later," I whispered to Isaac as we took two seats across from Stiles. Isaac gave me a small nod as we fished out our notebooks from our book bags.

…

Melissa

I stepped into the Sheriff's station and was immediately met with the scent of newspapers and cheap coffee. I made my way through the Deputy's desk, nodding at the receptionist, and saw John through the glass of the Sheriff's office, brooding over open case files with a coffee mug in hand. I knocked a couple of times on the glass of the door. John looked up, smiled and set his mug down to wave his hand over.

"Hey there!" He said. I smiled, "Hey," I said as I slumped into the chair that was set in front of his desk. He closed the files he had been slumped over, pushed them aside and folded his hands, "So…I hate to say it but I don't think I can get you out of another speeding ticket, Melissa." He chuckled as I blushed with a tinge of embarrassment, "No, no that's not why I'm here." I laughed.

John sat back into his chair, "So, what brings you to the station?"

I shifted uncomfortably in the hard chair, wondering where to begin. He seemed to notice my demeanor and knitted his eyebrows together, "Is everything all right?" he said softly.

"I'm not entirely sure." I said, meeting his grey eyes "It's Scott, he…I can tell there's something wrong with him…"

"What do you mean?" he said, voice laced with concern.

"He's been…very…distant? I don't know, he's…been avoiding me and I can tell that he hasn't been sleeping and I think he's…really struggling over what's happened."

"Well, I mean…it's only been a month since Allison died. Scott lost a dear friend, Melissa."

"Allison wasn't just a friend John," I said as I shook my head, "I mean, you should've heard how he talked about her when they started dating. It was like…she was the only one on the planet that mattered to him. And when they broke up, Scott had lost his anchor. Now that she's gone…I'm afraid he'll lose the will to live…"

"Are you saying he's become suicidal?" he said.

"I'm saying it could get to that point if he doesn't get help."

"We are helping him, he's got us, he's got Stiles! All of us are helping each other to get through this."

"I mean…he might need professional help." I said stiffly.

"Professional? You mean therapy?"

"It's why I came to you. I know Stiles went to therapy after Claudia passed away and…I came today wondering if you could give me a referral."

John's eyebrows seemed to knit even closer as he reached for a note and pad and scribbled a name and number and passed the note across the desk. "He's the best therapist I know…he definitely helped Stiles get through a lot."

I took it, glanced at the scribbled writing and stuffed it into the pocket of my scrubs as I murmured my thanks. We stood up and embraced one another tightly.

After we broke apart, I made for the door to leave, but not before I heard John say, "Don't be a stranger, Melissa." I turned back, smiled, and closed the door shut, once again internally smirking at that familiar spark that I always felt after our conversations….

…

Scott

The familiar hustle and bustle of the locker room was more comforting and welcoming then I could've ever imagined. A much needed hint of normality. Go figure.

I was walking out to the cross country track when Coach clapped me on the back. "McCall, you got a second?" His usually loud and cantankerous voice diminished to what seemed to be a normal volume level of conversation. "Yeah," I said as Coach guided me over away from everyone.

"First things first, McCall. Welcome back. We've missed you out here." He said.

"Thanks, Coach." I murmured, wondering where this conversation was heading.

"Listen, I uh…I know you've been…going through a lot, and I uh…just wanted to make sure you'd be…okay to…" He started to make hand gestures towards the track until I finally caught on.

"Oh, yeah I'm…I'll be okay, Coach. I'm good to run." I said. Coach nodded appreciatively, "Good, good, um…well, get to it then!" His voice returning to that familiar loudness. I walked away from him, smiling to myself at what appeared to be a display of genuine concern from Coach.

I saw Isaac doubled over, lacing up his shoes when I remembered when he tried to talk to me this morning. I walked over and bent down next to him, lowering my voice, "Hey."

He looked over, "Oh, hey."

"What did you need to talk to me about?"

He looked around nervously, "Maybe this isn't the best time…"

"Good a time as any, man." I said encouragingly.

"Um…well, I…"

BRRRRRRRRRRRR

"ALL RIGHT, YOU DELINQUENTS, LINE UP!"

Coach's whistle pierced the air again and everyone scrambled to the starting line. I gave Isaac a knowing look. Later, I promise.

With a final whistle blow, we zoomed off, kicking dust and dirt into the air.

It felt good to be running the trail again. It felt…normal. I couldn't help but crack a smile as I felt the wind rush through my hair. The smell of trees invaded my nostrils. I was passing by and maneuvering my way around people one by one as I picked up my pace. How's that for vulnerable?

At this point, I was at least half a mile ahead from everyone else and my adrenaline began to climb higher and higher. My breathing became shallower and my vision started to phase into a bright red as the line between human and wolf began to slowly blur.

I saw a figure run past me and go the other way, throwing me off and causing me to stumble. I caught myself and looked back and saw nothing. I shook it off and ran even faster. It was only a few seconds later did I see something…someone…run in front of me and into the thicket of trees to my left. It couldn't be…Losing all sense, I ran off the trail and after those familiar locks of black hair.

Scott…

Her voice was in my ear. A voice I thought I would never hear again.

Its ok…Its perfect…

I ignored my burning throat as I gulped in cold breath after cold breath. I pushed my legs to go faster.

I'm in the arms of my first love…

No. My eyes started stinging. I clasped my hands over my ears, but nothing seemed to drown out the noise.

…the first person I've ever loved…the person I'll always love…

I screamed as loud as I could but nothing could get her voice out of my head.

I love you…Scott McCall…

My foot caught on a log and I was hurling down an incline, feeling tree branches scrape my skin and my back hitting the ground roughly. When I opened my eyes, darkness had fallen and I wasn't surrounded by trees anymore. I looked around and heard the clangs of metal swords and howls of pain. As soon as I realized what was happening I shut my eyes closed, like a child finally realizing he was caught in a nightmare. Despite closing my eye, I could still see and hear the swish of black cloaks dancing around werewolves and a hunter, readying to strike her down and impale her with their dark black blades…

I let out a howl so loud it felt like my world was shaking. I felt tears burning my eyes and streaking down my face. I was reliving it. I felt everything.

I was trapped.

Derek

I was on my morning run when I heard it. I heard a scream coming from the forest that made me stop dead in my tracks. My ears tuned in to any sounds I could pick up. I started walking cautiously towards an entanglement of branches that led into the forest.

I had only walked maybe 20 feet in when I heard a howl. I recognized it immediately.

Scott.

With that, I took off at a sprint towards where I thought the howl came from. It didn't take long for me to pick up on an elevated heartbeat and deep labored breaths.

I followed Scott's scent before I came across a steep incline. He was at the very bottom, hands over his ears, eyes clenched and body fidgeting.

"Scott!"

I jumped down to where his body lay and tried to examine what was wrong. There were no wounds to be seen. He looked like he was trapped in his own head.

I knew exactly what was happening…

I gripped his wrists to get him to stop fidgeting, but the contact only seemed to make everything worse. Scott's eye's wrenched open and they were ruby red. He tried to fight against me, as if he didn't recognize me.

"Scott! Scott…stop!"

Nothing would bring him out of it. The stench of pure fear was radiating off of him. I was at a loss of what to do.

"Derek!"

A voice shouted from behind me. I turned around just in time to see Isaac effortlessly slide down the incline and run over to us. His eyes seemed to glaze over, seemingly just as confused as I was.

"I heard his howl. What's wrong with him?" he said in between heavy pants.

"I don't…I don't know." I said. Scott was now actively trying to use his fists to punch me.

"He's having a panic attack, Derek." Isaac said. I looked over at him and back to Scott, picking out the underlying odor of anxiety interlaced with fear.

"How do we bring him out of it? He's going to make himself pass out if he keeps breathing like this." I said urgently.

"Pain…" Isaac whispered. I looked at him questioningly, "What?"

"Pain," he said more confidently, "pain makes you human."

Realization dawned on me at what I had to. "He's not going to like me very much after this…" I whispered to myself. "Hold on to his wrists." I instructed Isaac. As soon as he took over, I gripped Scott's upper arm and quickly twisted his forearm against it. Scott let out a guttural yell of pain as his eyes returned to their regular brown. Isaac looked at me with wide eyes, "What did you do?" he said with conviction.

"I just broke his arm. It's ok," I said, raising a hand at Isaac's reaction, "I've done it before, he'll heal in a matter of minutes." I looked over at Scott who seemed to have calmed down significantly, only clenching his arm in pain. He looked over at us, "What happened to me," he said with a cracked voice. Isaac and I helped him into a sitting position.

Isaac shrugged his shoulders, "You tell us, man. Derek and I found you like this."

"It looked like you were having a nightmare." I said, internally chastising myself for how blunt that came across. Scott looked down at his lap, lost in his thoughts. He shook his head, "I probably just…I haven't got a lot of sleep lately and…probably tried to do too much too fast…" Scott said, not even looking at us. Isaac and I met eyes, both knowing this was classic Scott McCall deflection. Yet, we both knew now wasn't the time to bring it up.

"Come on," Isaac said, lacing an arm around Scott's middle, "Let's get you home." We both propped him up on our shoulders and slowly made our way back to the school.

…

Melissa

"What do you mean?" I hissed into the phone.

"Derek and I found him off the Cross Country trail and he looked like he…I don't…I don't know but he had his hands over his ears and…"

"Ok…ok, ok…um…well, where is he now?"

"Derek's taking him back to the house, I gotta go tell Coach what happened."

"Ok, then tell him I'll be home soon."

"I think that he saw her…"

"Her?"

"I think he saw…I think he was having a flashback about Allison…"

"…just make sure Derek gets him home, Isaac. I'll see you soon, ok?"

"Ok..."

I set the phone down and rested my head in my hands. A flashback. A symptom of PTSD. I rifled through my bag until I found the crumpled up piece of yellow pad paper with the name and number of the therapist John scribbled down. I picked my phone back up and hastily dialed the number without hesitation.

…

Stiles

Isaac and Scott had disappeared after Cross Country and neither were returning my calls or texts. Needless to say my anxiety didn't take too well to that. I had two classes left for the day and I couldn't help but fidget in my seat and continuously glance at the clock, which felt like it wasn't even moving as the teacher droned on and on. I continued to send texts to Isaac and Scott.

By the time I got to History, my last class, I was ready to flip every available desk and table in reach. I caught Kira's eye and took a seat across from her in the back. I lowered my voice, not wanting anyone else to hear, "Hey."

She looked over from extracting her books out of her bag, scanned my face, and, in a hushed whisper, she asked, "Is everything ok?"

I shook my head, "I don't know. I mean, I mean I don't think so."

"Is it…"

"Yeah. Scott and Isaac completely vanished after Cross Country. No sign of them in the locker room or in any of their classes after. I've texted and called both of them but I got nothing back."

"What about Scott's mom? She'll probably know."

I shook my head, "I can't call Melissa during work hours." I said.

"I'm sure everything's fine, Stiles. Maybe…Isaac just needed to talk to Scott about something and school wasn't the best place to do it."

I tried to go along with her reasoning, "Yeah, Isaac did come up to him this morning wanting to talk about something but I think Truvo got to them before they could finish."

"Well, there you go. Maybe they didn't want to be interrupted."

"I guess but…Scott's just a few absent days away from graduating late, I don't think he would've skipped…"

Kira reached over and rested a hand on my arm, "Stiles, whatever it is, I'm sure they're fine. Besides, we're almost done with the day. Just make it though my dad's lecture and I'm sure by then you'll have gotten something from someone letting you know they're ok. All right?" I nodded, conceding.

She smiled and opened up her notebook, but I could tell all her actions were stiff and forced. Only now did I realize she was probably just as worried as I was.

I pulled out my phone and sent one last text to Scott and Isaac before stuffing it away in my bag, hoping that one of them would have the sense to reply and let me know what the hell happened to them.

…

Scott

I was stupid to think it would be this easy to get back into something like Cross Country. Especially running on absolutely no sleep.

I didn't say anything during the ride home in Derek's annoyingly spotless Camaro. I stared blankly out the window, lost in reverie, so much so that I didn't realize when we had rolled into my driveway.

"Hey," I heard from my left. I looked over at Derek, seemingly studying my demeanor. "Are you going to be ok until your mom gets home?" he asked, somewhat gruffly. I nodded and unlocked the switch of the door to leave before Derek re-locked it from his annoyingly optimized driver's control panel.

"You sure you don't want me to stay for a few?" he asked. "I'll be ok." I said, reaching for the lock again before Derek locked it again. I huffed and looked at him, "What are you doing?"

Derek looked back and he seemed to be fighting with something in his mind before he seemed to give up, "Nothing." he said softly, punching a button that unlocked my door. I opened the door a couple of inches, thought for a second, and looked back at the black haired werewolf that introduced me to the supernatural world. "Derek, please tell me what you're thinking before I have to force it out of you."

His hands tightened on the wheel and his lips pursed. I could sense how impatient he was getting. He wasn't the only one. "Fine. Thanks for the ride." I stepped out of the car and made my way up the driveway. My hand was on the doorknob when I heard the car door open and Derek's voice behind me, "I'm trying, Scott." he said curtly.

I turned back and waited for him to explain but he didn't. "What do you mean?"

Derek let out a long sigh and started to stroke his stubble in discomfort, "I know what you're going through."

"How can you possibly know what…" I stopped dead in my tracks, mentally kicking myself for being so damn stupid.

"Because I lost more than half of my family in a fire, Scott. That's how. And you are in the same place that I was when I was trying to get over it. I knew exactly what was happening when I found you in the middle of the woods like that. You saw everything that happened that night play over again, didn't you. You could see, hear and feel everything, couldn't you?" he said gruffly.

I nodded, not willing to even look him in the eyes.

"Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it won't be the first flashback you have of that night."

There was nothing but the silent hum from the Camaro to underscore the sharpness of Derek's voice and the words he seemed to be throwing at me. I stood frozen, losing all feeling in my limbs as I listened to Derek.

"You want to know the only difference between you now and me back when I lost the small handful of people I cared about most in this world? You have people that are there for you. Who actually give a damn about you, Scott. Who want to help you get through something no teenager at this age should be going through. I didn't. I didn't have any of that. I'm not trying to make myself look the victim. I'm just trying to show you just how many people care about you, and are by your side to help you move on from this."

Derek turned back and was almost back in the driver's seat before he looked at me and said, "I'm just trying to be one of those people, Scott." And with that, he disappeared into the black car and zoomed down the road, leaving me in the dust, with a whole new found respect for Derek Hale.

…

Stiles

As soon as the bell rang, I made sure I was the first one out of the classroom and into the lot, hastily checking my phone but to no avail. It was only until I stuffed my phone into my pocket did I realize that Isaac was leaning against the Jeep, arms crossed, just minding his own business.

"What the hell, man?" I shouted from halfway across the lot. He looked

up and shrugged. Classic Isaac.

"What the hell happened today? I've sent you and Scott a thousand texts" I said when I finally got to my parking space. I glanced over at Scott's bike, still untouched from this morning, "Speaking of which, where is Scott?"

"Derek took him home." Isaac said as we climbed into the Jeep. Derek took Scott home? "What, did you hold him at gunpoint if he didn't?" I asked him as I backed out and maneuvered Roscoe onto the main road. Isaac shook his head, "He offered." he said simply.

"Is Scott okay? What happened?" I asked.

"He's okay now, but…basically while we were running Cross, I heard a scream and then I heard Scott's howl. I ran off the track to where I heard it and when I found him, Derek had him by the wrists."

"Were they fighting?" I asked quickly. Isaac dismissed it, "No, they weren't fighting. Derek probably heard his howl too and he was trying to get Scott to calm down. It…Scott, he was in the middle of a panic attack, and he had his eyes completely shut and it was like he was completely unreachable. Derek had to break his arm to get him to come to."

I ran a hand through my hair, letting a sigh out, "Yeah, I think I know what he was going through."

"So do I…"

I looked over, "Do you get flashbacks too?"

He nodded, peering out the window and watching the trees whip by, "From time to time, yeah…"

"Is that why you haven't been around lately?" I asked softly. Isaac kept his eyes glued to the window. "Derek used to get them a lot when his family died…he's just been helping me deal with it."

"I know the feeling, I, kinda…used to get them after mom died. They aren't much fun, are they?"

He only shifted in his seat and continued to watch the scenery go by until I turned into Scott's neighborhood. Without a word, we hopped out of the jeep and strode over to the wooden door.

"You know Scott's missed you at home, right? Melissa, too." I said.

Isaac simply nodded his head as he pushed open the door.

The scene that awaited Isaac and I as we walked through the foyer was one that stopped us dead in our tracks. Scott, donning my old black t-shirt again, was sitting at the table with Melissa, holding him from behind. It was clear that they were both crying, as Scott held onto Melissa's sleeve and rested his head on her arm.

Isaac and I both exchanged glances, completely at a loss of what to do. I wondered if this was another one of those times where I needed to give Scott some space. By looking at Isaac, he seemed to confirm that it was indeed one of those times.

I patted Isaac on the arm, "When you can, just tell him to call me later Just to make sure he's ok."

"Where are you going?" he whispered.

I shrugged "Home, probably. I still have a smidge of make-up work to finish. But you," I prodded him in the chest with my pointer finger, "need to stay here because this is where you belong. Did you ever get to talk to him about whatever it is you wanted to talk about?"

"I'm surprised you haven't asked what it's about yet, to be perfectly honest." he said, crossing his arms.

I shrugged again, "You went to Scott, not me. Obviously whatever it is, its something between you and him. And that's fine with me."

"…I've been trying to get him all day but we keep getting interrupted."

"Then, for now, give him some space and maybe later he'll be willing to talk about it." I said.

He nodded, "You're right."

"Aren't I always?" I said with a side-smirk. I pat him on the back, said goodbye and made my way back out to the Jeep. As a last minute thought, I whipped out my phone and opened my contacts and immediately saw her name as the first one listed. My brain seemed to be scolding itself at seeing this. Are you an idiot? Why haven't you deleted her name yet? What if Scott borrows your phone months from now and sees this and it triggers something?

I clicked the name, clicked edit and hovered my finger over delete contact. Admittedly, this whole thing probably held more levity than it probably should have. But then again, I'm Stiles Stilinski. Almost everything is a big deal and, in retrospect, what else do I have to remember her by?

I closed the screen, scrolled down to Kira's name and sent her a quick text,

Scotts home and he's okay. Just wanted to let you know.

I slid my phone into the cup holder and backed out of the driveway, still subconsciously contemplating on whether or not giving Scott some space was the right move…

…

Isaac

I climbed the stairs until I was right outside of Scott's door. It had been a couple of hours since Stiles and I came home. Did I give him enough of time? Its not like I can't wait until tomorrow…

I was so busy mentally fighting myself that I didn't hear footsteps getting closer and the doorknob turn with a squeak. I looked up and I was face to face with Scott, my right hand awkwardly floating in front of me as it was about ready to knock.

"I heard your heartbeat from the bed. Kinda hard not to miss." Scott said with a dry voice. I nodded, "Do you think maybe we can talk now?" my mouth getting drier by the minute. Scott's hand flew up to his forehead and I started to panic, "I'm sorry, I…we…it can wait." I said as I began to turn around.

"No, come back. Sorry, its just I completely forgot about it, that's all. Come in, please." He said stepping aside. I walked in and strode over to a chair in the corner of the room. Scott, shutting the door, took a seat at the edge of the bed and leaned forward on his knees, "What's going on, Isaac?"

"So…here's the thing…" My voice caught in my throat. Damn, this was going to be a lot harder than I thought it would be.

I leaned forward just as Scott did. "Scott, I'm leaving." I blurted out. What I said didn't seem to register because Scott's expression was blank. He shook his head slightly, "Wait, you're…leaving?"

"Yeah," I sighed.

"I mean, not to be rude or anything but you haven't been at the house lot so I kinda just assumed-"

"I'm not leaving the house, Scott. I'm leaving Beacon Hills."

Scott broke his stare and slightly bowed his head. I tried to pick up any sort of vibe or chemosignal to gauge what he was feeling but nothing seemed to come up.

He looked back up at me, "Why?" he said softly.

"Argent's been teaching me about weapons and negotiations ever since that night. At first, I went along with it because I knew that it was his way of distracting himself, his way of coping. But, as it turns out, I have a talent for it and…he's going to Paris for a while to get away from everything and work on building up his arsenal and he asked me…if I wanted to come…with him. And I said yes." I finished lamely.

I could see the cogs turning in Scott's mind as he tried to absorb what I just told him. I looked down to the floor, wondering what else I could possibly say to make this less difficult.

"When do you leave?" Scott asked.

"Tomorrow." I sighed, still keeping my eyes to the floor. "I need to get away, Scott. There's just too much pain…too many memories. Honestly, given what happened today, I think you should be thinking about the same thing…"

We sat in silence for what seemed like forever before Scott whispered, "We're going to miss you around here. I think mom's taken a pretty nice liking to you." He said with a small hint of a smile.

"You don't know how much I appreciate what you and your mom have done for me. Giving me a home. A family." I felt a lump grow in my throat. "It means a lot…" I whispered.

Without a word, the both of us rose from our seats and embraced each other. Scott patted my back, "You'll always be family." he said through the fabric of my sweater. "Always."

…

Stiles

I was on my bed, textbook propped up on one knee and my laptop on the other when I heard the door ring. Dad opened it and I strained to hear who it was. Light feet climbed the steps until I saw Lydia appear in the doorway.

"Hey, you." She smiled.

I smiled back, "Hey."

She flung her purse over to a chair and settled herself at the edge of my bed, looking over at the History project I was typing out. Lydia scrunched up her eyebrows, "You're still working on that? I thought it was due Monday."

"It was," I said flatly, "Kira's dad is gave me an extension last week before I could refuse. Gave me time to catch up on other stuff, though, so…"

"I see…" she said, peering around the room at the poster-littered walls.

I nudged her knee, "What brings you here? Unannounced, I might add." I said with a smirk and a feigned chastising expression.

"Like you care!" She scolded lightly and laughed, "I just came back from dropping off Jackson at the airport and just thought I'd stop by to see how you were doing."

I closed the laptop and textbook and set them aside, pulling my knees to my chest and resting my arms on top of them, "I guess, I'm ok…I'm sleeping a lot better. I don't get nightmares all the time anymore…"

Lydia nodded, "That's good! I suppose things are getting back to normal now, huh?"

"It's Beacon Hills, define normal," I chided

"Well…" she thought for a moment, "we're in no immediate peril as far as I know, so…I'd say things are pretty normal. Or, at least, as normal as they can be." she said.

"Yeah…" I said, wringing my hands, seemingly catching Lydia's eye. She looked at me, "What's wrong? You only do that when you're worried."

"Nothing, it's just…Scott had a flashback during Cross Country today…" I said softly. Lydia cocked her head. "What do you mean?" She said, leaning in a little closer. I ran my hand through my hair, "Isaac said he found him in the middle of a flashback. He thinks Scott saw that night happen again. The night she died…I'm just worried about him that's all."

Lydia shifted herself over and rested her head on my shoulder. I felt the tension in my shoulders get alleviated, "You know the thing about Scott is…" I continued, "he has a talent for keeping everything inside, everything bottled up. Ever since he became an Alpha, he doesn't let anyone see him in a weak moment. Not even me. He thinks he has to be strong for everyone else but…he ends up doing himself more harm than good."

"Scott's always been like that." Lydia whispered, "He's just selfless.

And he's going through a lot. Like the rest of us. We're all still trying to move on and get used to a life without Allison.

I craned my head to look at her, "Are you ok?" I whispered.

"Yeah. I just miss her." she said simply. The way she said, it seemed that the grieving was over and the acceptance started to take its place. Progress.

"We all do, Lyds." I took her hand and started stroking it softly, resting my head on hers. I felt the warmth between us and I wished we could stay like that forever. I'm not sure how I felt about Lydia after the whole thing with Malia at Eichen. But right now…this was good enough for me…

My phone started buzzing closest to Lydia and she stretched across the bed to get it. She glanced at the screen, "It's Scott." she said. I took the phone from her and picked the call up.

"Hey, Scotty."

"Hey."

"…are you ok?"

"Can you pick me up?"

"Uh…" I glanced at the clock, "It's a little late but, I guess I can. Where do you want to go?"

"I don't know, just a place where we can talk."

"Ok. I'll be there soon, ok?"

"Ok."

I hung up and stuck my phone in my pocket. I looked at Lydia, "I've got to go pick Scott up. Do you want to come?" I said. Lydia laughed softly as she got up and grabbed her bag, "I'm sure it's better if its just you two."

…

Isaac

ALLISON ARGENT

Beloved Daughter and Friend

1998-2014

Nous protégeons ceux qui ne peuvent se protéger

We protect those who can not protect themselves

The light of the full moon cast itself down on only half the tombstone, but I still tried to memorize every single detail about the marble and it's engravings. The flowers that had been set at the foot of the grave had wilted and Chris bent down to replace them with fresh ones. The bright of yellow of the petals was juxtaposed against the harsh grey. I made a point to Chris that I needed to visit her one more time before we left, not knowing for sure when I would be back in Beacon Hills, if not at all. He stood next to me, his face almost set in stone as he wore a mask a neutrality. Compartmentalizing at its finest.

I looked at her name one last time before I felt like I was ready to leave. Chris and I got into the car and drove off into the night. I looked up at the full moon, barely feelings its effects anymore. It was only a matter of time until we were on the highway overlooking Beacon Hills. I stared out at the small town that had been my home, my real home. Not that the hell I lived in with my dad. I smiled internally at all the memories I had with the pack. All of the memories I had with her.

Goodbye, Allison.

…

Scott

"Where is he going again?"

"Paris." I said.

"France?"

"What other Paris is there?"

"..uh…V-Vegas?"

Stiles and I were laying across Roscoe's hood, staring up at the full moon and the stars. Stiles had parked the Jeep at the top of a cliff somewhere in the Beacon Hills Preserve, looking over Beacon Hills. Everything was quiet except for the chirping of crickets. The only light came from the headlights and the moon. I felt its effects stirring inside of me but I kept it down like I always did.

"Is he coming back?" Stiles said, looking over at me. I shrugged, still staring up at the moon, "He didn't say. I don't know how long they're going to be there."

"I suppose he isn't graduating with us next year then."

"I guess not. Chris helped him get released from school. He's almost 18 so he left it up to Isaac." I said.

"And how do you feel about that?" Stiles muttered, nudging me with his elbow. I shrugged again, "It's up to him."

Stiles sat up a little and brought his knees up to his chest. "You're gonna miss him, aren't you?"

I chuckled and sat up with him, "Of course I'm gonna miss him. He's pack."

"Yeah, he really helped you out today, didn't he."

"Yeah, he really did…Derek did too."

"Yeah, I heard that he offered to take you home today after what happened."

I nodded and looked over, "You know, when he dropped me off, he…he said that he's trying to be there for us more than he has been. In the past, I mean."

"I picked that up the night he was making dinner for us." Stiles chided.

"At least he's making an effort." I whispered, returning my gaze back to the full moon. "Mom wants me to go to Therapy after what happened."

"Yeah, I heard from my dad. Bamford's a good guy. He helped me a lot when my mom died. You'll like him."

"You know, I remembered when we were little and…I would get so mad at my mom because she said I couldn't go over your house to play because you had to go to therapy. Like it was her fault…" I smiled at the memory.

"Oh, yeah…" Stiles started laughing and I quickly joined in. Laughing, something so normal, felt out of place coming out me. Like I had almost forgotten how to…

"Back when things were normal…when we were normal…when we were…" I tore my eyes away from the moon and resigned to looking at my half-laced shoes. "What? When we were nothing?" Stiles said from my right.

After I didn't respond, he nudged me again, "Hey. I don't like this kind of talk. Last time you were talking like this you were drenched in gasoline, remember?"

"I know…" I said, practically smelling the stench of the gas on my clothes.

"We're getting through it, Scott. We're all getting through this together." He rested a hand on my shoulder, "I can't say anything that I haven't already said. You just focus on all the good things in your life right now. You've got the pack. We have each other. It's all we have and all we need to get through this."

When did Stiles get so damn wise.

"You're right." I nodded.

"Of course, I'm right." Stiles said with a cynical smile.

"I don't think we could've gotten through this without each other." I said softly.

"It's what we're here for. It's our jobs to keep each other going, right?" he said, slipping an arm around my shoulders. I looked over and nodded with a smile. I couldn't help but notice how the usual glint in Stiles' eyes every time he went off on a tangent seemed to be returning with every day. His usual glow was back, even if I could still see behind his eyes the irreparable damage that the Nogitsune left behind.

We were both damaged, but, somehow, we always managed to keep each other from falling apart.

THE END

Hello, everyone!

This chapter, hopefully not too much to anyone's dismay, has been a month in the making! I do apologize for it being late, but I had to make sure I nailed everything I wanted to before wrapping up this story.

Please, please, please leave a review to let me know what you guys think of the last chapter of It's All We Have.

In terms of future fics, I can't promise anything at the moment, but I can definitely say that I will be writing more in the future! I love these characters too much to write them only one story :P

Thanks to all who have already read the past chapters and have left reviews and favorite the story. As I said before, you guys are my inspiration! I write for you!

See you soon, everyone. Much love,

A. Lane