The nogitsune was gone but its effect on the pack remained. Melissa had been worried when Scott told her of Stiles fainting and insisted on checking him over. The Sheriff readily agreed and carried his son from the car into the McCall's home, quickly finding the spare bedroom where Melissa had everything already set up for their stay. The two parents had decided it would be best for their boys to stay in the same house for a while after everything that happened. They would need each other's support.
Stiles had gone missing more than once in the past week alone and as John looked down at the bed he realised that he didn't want to have his boy out of arms anytime soon. Melissa put a hand on his shoulder, making him turn a little to see her questioning look.
"I just don't wanna let go of him yet." Melissa nodded as they both looked down at the sleeping teenager in the sheriff's arms.
"You don't have to. Your body heat will help to bring his temperature back to normal and it might be good to have you close in case he has a nightmare. Just get settled in the bed with him and I'll get my medical kit."
Scott came in then with a bag of things for Stiles that he'd picked up from the Stilinski house. He dropped it by the door and quickly moved forward to help John get Stiles and himself in the bed.
John cradled his son close to him like he used to do so often when the big teenager in his arms was just a small boy with the biggest smile he had ever seen and a heart as bright as anything. Now he looked down at the most important thing he had in this world and hoped that their small family would be enough to heal the hurts that the nogitsune had inflicted.
Siles hadn't particularly liked or trusted Aiden but yet another death by his hands took its toll nonetheless. Especially since it upset Lydia so much and while Aiden had been generally unpleasant, Ethan didn't deserve to lose his brother, his twin.
Stiles stirred when being shifted around and curled closer to his father as Scott pulled the blankets around the two. John could feel the chill of Stiles' skin even through their clothing and asked Scott to heat up some hot water bottles.
Melissa came back in as Scott was going out and came to sit at the edge of the bed with her medical kit which she had been squirreling away piece by piece from the hospital. The nurse began checking Stiles over, tugging the blankets down a little to take his pulse and blood pressure, among other things. John watched her closely as Melissa did her work and was growing more anxious as the silence went on and the crease between her eyes formed.
"Is he okay?" the nurse looked up from where she was tugging the collar of Stiles shirt down to listen to his heart and lungs.
"He mostly seems okay, though by the looks of things the Nogitsune didn't eat, sleep or drink at all while parading around in Stiles body. He should be okay with some rest and nutrients. I'll set him up with an IV and we can keep him warm." The Sheriff nodded gratefully and pressed a kiss to his son's temple.
Melissa knew she was being overly cautious but she wanted to check that the boy hadn't hit his head when he fainted. She ran her fingers through his hair, feeling for any bumps or cuts but found none and brought out her pen light instead. The nurse brought her hand up to lift Stiles' eyelid and flashed the light to his eye. She did it as quick as she could, not wanting to disturb his sleep but he still squirmed in his father's grasp and made noises of protest.
"Sorry sweetie, just making sure. Everything looks as good to be expected. He doesn't seem to have a concussion which is good so we can keep him out of the hospital for this."
Melissa was just setting up the IV when Scott came back in with some hot water bottles but there was someone else too.
The Alpha brought the water bottles to the bed and placed them in, talking quietly to his best friend.
"Hey buddy, Lydia's here. She wanted to see how you were doing." Scott hadn't really expected a response but smiled when a pale hand made its way out of the tangle of blankets to reach out to him. He swiftly took the searching hand and began drawing out any pain that he could.
"Scott?"
"Yeah man, I'm right here. Open your eyes." Fluttered eyelids opened to familiar bright brown eyes which quickly flicked down to their clasped hands.
"Don't do that Scott." He tried tugging his hand away but his body was too weakened to do much more than twitch in the werewolf's hold.
"You're allowed to have help Stiles and it's okay to get better. You don't need to suffer."
The pale boy shook his head dazedly. "Not after what happened last time." He twisted in his father's grip to snake out a second hand and poke lightly at the Alpha's tummy.
"Does it still hurt?" Scott shook his head, concerned at Stiles' confusion.
"Nah, it's all healed now Buddy. It's alright."
The human looked up to the doorway to see his favourite Banshee and smiled before seeming to realize she looked upset.
"Lydia?"
Scott nodded and smiled, gesturing for the girl to come closer.
"Yeah she came to see you bud."
"She's mad at me. I made her scream and I hurt people. She won't want to see me."
Lydia stepped forward then and sat on the bed beside Scott.
"I'm not mad at you Stiles. I don't blame you for what happened but I am sad about… everything and that's also why I needed to see you. And I brought you something."
Lydia took a tangle of red wool from her bag and began unravelling it. It was the same thread that Stiles had kept in his room and Lydia had taken a piece from when she was last there. She knew he used red for unsolved cases but she also knew of another red string.
"I know you know about the red string of fate because when you were supposed to do a speech on symbolism in Romeo and Juliet you did one on Chinese mythology and beliefs instead."
The Sheriff chuckled at that and both he and his son watched in fascination as Lydia began winding the thread around one of Stiles fingers.
"The red string of fate may get stretched or tangled but will never break." She finished winding the other end to her own finger and pulled the thread taut between them.
"You're my anchor and I'm yours and I will not leave you alone to drown."
Stiles smiled gratefully and worked to hold back the tears forming in his eyes. With his brother holding his hand, his Dad's arms around him, Melissa standing watch over him and a red thread connecting him to his anchor Stiles had his whole family, his whole world in one room.
It felt wrong that Allison wasn't there too, that she would no longer be here in their family but as much as they all missed her she would never be gone completely and the pack would have to learn to heal and live without her with them.
Scott made a small 'oh' noise and reluctantly released Stiles' hand to reach into the bag he had brought from the Stilinski house.
"I actually brought something too. I ran into Chris Argent and he had something he wanted to give us before he left."
The werewolf pulled out three chains and brought them over to his now small pack. When he had sat down and resumed contact with Stiles enough to take his pain he opened his palm to reveal three arrow heads.
"Chris made some more of those silver ones and thought we'd like some."
Lydia picked up one of the chains and dangled it above her palm to let the silver arrow head spin in her hand.
"For Allison."
Scott nodded and placed his on his knee so he could help Stiles put one on. The pendant sat heavy on his cold skin and made him feel sick at the feeling of guilt that crawled into his belly at its touch. But soon he realised how much of a gift it was. Chris had made it and given it not as a reminder of his failures or for the purpose of making him feel what he had taken away from the world by taking her from it.
Chris Argent had made it because he knew that Allison had been loved by the pack she had made her way into. The hunter had made it in the knowledge that Stiles would be mourning and would miss his friend.
Chris Argent did not blame him for the death of his daughter. And that was everything.
Scott and Lydia both their own on now and the room was full of people that loved Allison Argent and the fact that all of them loved Stiles too meant so much that he knew, eventually, they would be okay.