Fighting for Stiles
Chasechick
Stiles's head throbbed with the pulse of his erratic heartbeat. He couldn't quell the shaking in his limbs his vision clouded with unshed tears.
"Wh-Where are they? Where did they go?" Stiles asked the room at large. He looked at each person standing there expecting one of them to know the answer. Each of them dropped their eyes from his as he came to the sinking realization that none of them knew the answer. That right now the nogitsune wearing his face had taken Lydia somewhere. The nogitsune thrived off chaos, off of fear, he liked being in control, and he had his Lydia.
Of course that was his fault. The nogitsune had known everything about Stiles, had known where to strike to hurt him the most. He had retaliated because Stiles had broken free of his control, this was his pay back. He tried to pull himself to his feet but couldn't get his limbs to cooperate and he fell unceremoniously back to the floor.
He could feel the increase in his heartbeat and his breaths coming in short gasps. He was back to himself and in less than a minute he was on the verge of collapse from an anxiety attack. The nogitsune really knew how to play him. Scott gave him a sad look before leaning down to brace Stiles's weight and lifted him to the couch.
"We need to go, we need to go right now, and we have to find them." Stiles exclaimed to the stoic group. He didn't understand why they were just standing there. "He's got Lydia we have to go."
By now the tears and spilled over to his cheeks and he didn't even make a move to wipe them. Things had gone from terrible to worse. He hadn't been able to stop the nogitsune but he had seen all the things that he had done. Had felt it like he had been the one wielding the sword that stabbed Scott, dropping the power line that had hurt Isaac, set the trap that shot coach, killed those police officers… the thoughts alone made him feel sick and he keeled to the side to throw up but only came up with burning dry heaves. He could feel a warm hand on his back as he continued to wretch over the arm of the couch.
"Stiles calm down, we need to think this through." Scott spoke in a soft voice that Stiles recognized from the times he had spoken to Stiles just after his mom had passed.
"No I won't calm down." Stiles snapped though even to his own ears he could hear how weak his voice sounded. He couldn't do anything in his weakened state; he probably couldn't do anything if he was at his peak. The nogitsune had power, strength and could heal and Stiles was only human.
"Listen, I don't know how much you know or remember…" Derek began finally breaking his silence.
"I remember all of it." Stiles said as he sank bank to a sitting position wearily. "Every God damn second of it, it was like I was screaming and fighting to break out but couldn't." He dropped his eyes to his hands as if he couldn't believe they were his.
"Stiles that wasn't you," Scott said, "that was the nogitsune."
Stiles didn't answer instead his mind began to wander to all the horrible things the nogitsune could be doing to Lydia because of him.
He could feel the tremors in his body but didn't care. He was so cold and ached from head to toe. He didn't remember the nogitsune eating or sleeping for that matter so didn't that mean he hadn't either? Scott's weight shifted as Melissa took his place and put a warm hand on his shoulder to turn him towards her.
"Stiles, how are you feeling?" She asked as she placed a cool hand on his forehead causing him to shiver. She forced his chin towards her and checked his eyes, pulling them down. She ran a hand down to his wrist and took his heart beat and he could see by the focus of her eyes she was counting respirations and who knew what else. She lifted his shirt and Stiles was surprised to see an angry red scar where the nogitsune had cut into the flesh of his stomach. She touched it and he grimaced, it was still a bit tender.
She gave him a tender smile before turning to Scott and muttering something he couldn't hear. Scott took off and Melissa turned back to him. "You need to rest Stiles. I'm going to let you try to drink some water with some pain reliever and see how you are when you wake. You're dehydrated, running a fever, I'm afraid your body is going to start shutting down if you don't." Scott returned with a glass of water and Tylenol which he handed to Stiles who took them sloshing the water over the rim of the glass before downing it. His throat throbbed as if he literally had been screaming himself hoarse all this time.
He tried to protest as Melissa pushed him down and tucked a pillow under his head and pulled the blanket off the back but he couldn't find the strength and soon his eyes were sliding closed.
Stiles felt like his eyes were glued shut; he could hear voices murmuring softly in the other room but couldn't seem to force his eyes to open or his body to move. He listened for a moment and then began to worry that perhaps he had simply imagined the nogitsune had given up control of him. That perhaps it had been a cruel trick and he was still being held prisoner in his own body. He flailed and a scream came as he pried is eyes open. He sat up already sweating and looking around ready to fight if he had to.
Melissa and his father were sitting in the adjoining dining room and approached him carefully. "It's okay son. You're safe." His father said softly as he moved carefully toward him.
The truth of it all slammed into Stiles like a freight train. He might be safe but at what cost? Lydia was out there somewhere no doubt being tortured by his nogitsune. He should have just let them kill him, the nogitsune would have died with him and she would have been safe.
That thought along with his father's comforting arms caused a damn to break in Stiles and he sobbed openly on his father's shoulder. He wasn't sure if it was minutes or hours but eventually he had no more water left in his body and his tears subsided. His dad refused to leave his side and instead tucked him into his arm like he did when he was little. Melissa was checking him over and frowned. "Let's try to get some water in you and some soup okay? Are you still feeling okay?" She asked as she moved to the kitchen.
He simply shrugged. Any minor discomfort he was feeling right now was minor to what Lydia was going through.
"How long was I out?" He asked his voice rough.
"About twelve hours." His father answered and Stiles tried to sit up as if to bolt from the couch but his father's arm pulled him back easily to his spot. "Relax Stiles, I doubt you could make it to the door let alone outside to go hunt down a nogitsune. Scott and Derek are out looking. As soon as we can make sure you aren't going to collapse then we'll talk."
Stiles heard the finality in his father's voice and knew he was in no position to argue. So he sipped the cool water and took the Tylenol Melissa offered him and slurped the warm chicken noodle soup. His stomach protested and he felt sick by the time he finished the bowl but he needed to show them that he was okay that he could do this.
He pushed the tray back when he had finished and started in. "What do we know? Anything?" He asked.
His father gave him a sad frown. "Not much I'm afraid. Scott and Derek haven't been able to pick up Lydia's scent. It's like she vanished right along with the nogitsune. Is there anything you can tell us that you might know?" It looked like it physically pained his father to ask.
Stiles thought for a minute a few things clicking into place as he thought. Each piece of the puzzle scarier than the next, it painted a truly horrific picture. He couldn't look at either of them as he spoke. "He took Lydia to draw me out. He needs me, we're still connected. I think the reason I'm so weak is because he's using my strength. He won't be able to keep his body long. He needs me back. By taking Lydia he knew I'd give myself up for her."
The silence of the room was deafening. The more Stiles sat in the quiet the more he realized his conclusion was probably correct. "Where have they tried looking for them?" He asked his father after some time had passed.
"They've looked at the school, some warehouses, the woods, Echo house, nothing so far." His father answered as he took a cup of coffee from Melissa.
Stiles simply nodded as he leaned forward and rubbed his hands together in thought. Truthfully he hadn't expected them to find anything. The nogitsune could vanish like smoke and reappear somewhere else, there were limitations of course, and he couldn't go that far. He could apparently take someone with him when he disappeared. Stiles also deduced that he couldn't get that far from Stiles himself. If his body was giving it its power than he reasoned he'd have to be fairly close by.
He was still theorizing and thinking when Derek and Scott came back after lunch with no news. They all ate sandwiches somberly each lost in their own morbid thoughts.
Deaton, Allison and Chris showed up after lunch looking no better than the lot of them. Allison's eyes were red rimmed and puffy, her clothes wrinkled and dirty. She gave Stiles a sad smile before taking a seat heavily.
When everyone had settled Stiles cleared his throat. "I have a few ideas if you would like to hear them." He began and everyone silenced their murmured conversations before turning their eyes on him. "I've already told my dad and Melissa that the nogitsune is only sustaining his form by the energy he gets from me. He also took Lydia to draw me out knowing I'd willingly give myself up to him in order to save her. "Derek was nodding in the corner as he agreed with the statements, Scott looked appalled like he knew where this was heading and didn't like it, and Allison sat still and unmoving from her spot. "I'm also tethered to Lydia and connected to the nogitsune in some form or another. If I concentrate I should be able to tell where they are, and I would guess they aren't too far."
No one spoke for a moment until Chris Argent spoke up. "Okay, say you can reach out and figure out where they are. What do we do when we find them?"
Stiles bit his lip dejectedly, "No Stiles." Both his father and Scott spoke simultaneously once they realized his intent.
"The way I see it you can do this one of two ways, you can kill me now thus killing the nogitsune. You can let me lead you to him and accept his offer so you can free Lydia and kill us then when I have more power… that's it." Stiles said simply and stood to his feet, he wavered dangerously for a moment before shuffling to the bathroom where he shut the door and sat down against it.
He could hear them argue in the other room but he simply closed his eyes and began to fall asleep as he focused. He focused first on finding Lydia by their tether, if only to feel her presence one last time. He couldn't seem to feel anything and was nearly about to give up and try feeling for the nogitsune when he felt her. He could nearly smell her, she was panicked, and she was terrified. He needed to get to her. He snapped his eyes open and pulled himself to his feet as fast as he could. He cupped some water from the faucet over his face and opened the door.
They were all waiting for him. None of them looked happy. "I think I know where they are." He said, "Scott we need to talk to Kira's mother. They are in some remnant of the camp; I don't know where it is." Scott looked angry but he complied and pulled out his phone to make the call.
Stiles moved back to his spot next to his father on the couch and waited as Scott spoke to Kira. When he hung up the phone he spoke to the room as he looked at Stiles. "They are on their way. Stiles I'm not letting you do this. There is another way."
Stiles looked up suddenly, "What other way?" He asked trying to keep his hopes from rising too high.
Scott looked to Deaton and Derek before he answered. "I could bite you. We found a scroll that spoke of a way to defeat a nogitsune was to change its body. Death isn't the only way you change a body. If I bite you there is a chance that you changing into a werewolf would kill the nogitsune." Scott looked hopefully at Stiles as he finished willing him to agree.
Stiles thought for a moment before nodding. "That makes sense I guess. The nogitsune took me because I was human. He can't truly inhabit someone with supernatural abilities, he can influence them and manipulate them but he can't possess them. "
"Does that mean you'll agree to it?" Scott asked him.
Stiles's father shifted closer to him and grasped his hand in his own. He could see the hopeful look in his father's eyes and he nodded to Scott.
"I think the best chance you have of this working is for Stiles to let the nogitsune back into his body. Then if we inflict the bite the change should dispel him for good."
"How are you going to even get close enough to inflict the bite Scott? You know how powerful he is." Stiles asked as he began thinking this plan through.
"You'll just have to fight him long enough that I can get in there." Scott says as if it were that simple.
"I don't want you to get hurt if I can't hold him off Scott." Stiles says.
"If we have to we can drug you, we'll all be there." Deaton says.
"Stiles remember there is a chance the bite could kill you." Derek speaks up solemnly. Stiles meets his eyes and nods in understanding.
"Anything is better than him having Lydia. I'm okay with that." Stiles answered.
They all look up at the sound of an approaching car and doors as Kira and her parents arrive.
The tension is thick when they enter and Kira's mother eyes Stiles wearily no doubt judging for herself if it is really him or just another game of the nogitsune. She must believe the story that Scott retells to her because she nods and agrees to help them.
Stiles speaks for the first time in front of her. "He's at a place that used to be part of Oak Creek. I don't recognize it. It has chain link fence still around it and some dark hallways. But it looks like it hasn't been used in years. The pavement is starting to break apart from the roots of trees." He finishes his eyes pleading with this woman to know the place he describes.
She sighs solemnly. "I know where you speak Mr. Stilinski. It is where they buried the dead. It was a small outlying post that they housed shipments in. It's also where they took those they wanted to question without others hearing." She looked like she swallowed something sour.
With the destination now known they scrambled to assemble their plan to turn Stiles. Deaton scampered off to go collect his poison, Derek spoke with Scott about how to bite someone, he looked more sick that Stiles at this point.
The Sheriff took the moment to wrap his arms around his son and murmur to him. "No matter what happens Stiles, know that I love you. If this works and you come back to me a werewolf it won't matter as long as you come back to me." He could hear the tears in his father's voice as he buried himself in his chest and hugged him tight.
"I'll try to fight him dad I will." Stiles answered him muffled by his father's sweatshirt.
When Deaton returned they all piled into the Sheriff's SUV and Stiles's jeep which Derek drove. The outpost was off the beaten path, they would need the 4 wheel drive to reach it. The entire drive was made in silence and Stiles used the time to reach out to see if he could feel Lydia through their tether. Each time he received an overwhelming urge of panic and hopelessness and it killed him. He would never forgive himself for this. Never.
They slowed as they reached the woods finally stopping the vehicles and set off on foot. Kira's mother seemed to remember the way without much difficulty. When they reached a break in the trees they could see the dark building with its ominous fences looming in the darkness.
Stiles hugged his father and then Derek, Scott and Allison before kissing Melissa on her wet cheek. The plan was for him to enter alone followed momentarily by Scott and Derek who would either administer the bite if Stiles remained in control or they would drug him while the other got Lydia out of harm's way to bite him later.
Stiles felt like each step would make him collapse but he fought onward. Now that he was close he could feel the nogitsune and Lydia close by. He pushed himself forward through the shadows and entered one hallway then another. Thankfully the others would be able to follow his scent but he was walking blind. He could just feel them. He happened upon them as he rounded one last stairwell. Lydia tied to a chair, the nogitsune circling her.
Stiles heart clenched and skipped in his chest. By the pale moonlight slipping in the window he could he see her swollen eyes, the tears on her cheeks, a small amount of blood from a split lip. "Lydia are you okay?" He asked.
She jumped and looked frightened as she looked at him and he felt an overwhelming sense of sadness. It made sense that she would fear him, he wore the same face as her tormentor. She would always have a fear of him. He pushed that thought aside as he stepped further into the room.
She gave him a small watery smile as she realized that it was her Stiles and he placed his hand on her. He could feel her trembling beneath the binds. "I'm here now. Everything is going to be okay." He tried to make his voice steady and reassuring.
The nogitsune laughed at him. "Welcome Stiles!" He spat. "It's so nice to see you again."
Stiles knew the others were approaching so he kept talking to the nogitsune as he worked the binds on Lydia's arm loose as best as he could. "I'm here now so you can let her go; she has nothing to do with this."
"Oh but I'm having so much fun. I can feel how this is tearing you apart Stiles. You truly love her don't you?"
He didn't wait for an answer. Instead he sprang forward and grabbed Stiles by the throat lifting him off the ground. Stiles heard a startled gasp from Lydia and he hoped she'd stay put until this was over. He had to let him win, he had to let him back in.
"Just take me, you can have me, just let her go." He choked out.
"Now where would the fun in that be?" He barked. "I'll take you back but I think I could amuse myself with your banshee for a while longer, we were having so much fun before you arrived."
Stiles struggled in anger against him but it was more for show than real hope of harming the nogitsune. He wanted his fight to be believable enough. The nogitsune took a huge rattling breath and Stiles's world began to spin. He could feel an immense coldness overtake him as the two bodies merged back into one body again.
He sagged into the corner and pulled his knees to himself. He focused all he could on staying himself. "Lydia, go. " Stiles managed to gasp out before the nogitsune fought him and left him paralyzed. It was the best he could offer.
He wasn't sure how long it took for Scott and Derek to appear, it felt like an eternity. He was quickly losing strength. "Scott do it quick." He managed in a strangled whisper as his body began to shake with the effort of holding back the trickster spirit.
Stiles felt the sharp stinging sensation of the Scott's teeth in his neck. Before long the brutal cold of the nogitsune was replaced by a quickly growing heat. Stiles could hear himself scream but he could also hear the scream of the nogitsune as it burned within him.
If he could survive this bite, they just might win.
Stiles nearly felt as if he were being consumed alive by the fire but eventually darkness claimed him. This time he did not dream, he did not fight an enemy as he slept. He slept peacefully his body slowly recovering from weeks of trauma and fighting.
When he awoke he found the light brighter than he remembered, his arms and legs tethered to the bed. He smiled. They had been smart to tie him down. They didn't know if he would wake up himself or not. He was glad to find he woke up at all.
The door on the side of the room burst open, "Stiles!" Scott exclaimed which sent a bunch of stampeding feet his way. Scott was quickly followed by Lydia, his father, Melissa, and Derek. He didn't mention the missing Allison or Isaac and just smiled at them all.
Deaton came in finally along with Kira and her mother. She approached him and grabbed his face and peered in his eyes and he met her gaze a little unnerved. "He is free of the nogitsune spirit." She proclaimed before pulling back and nodding to Kira before exiting the room without another word.
They all smiled a bit solemnly as Scott moved to undo his restraints. "Just take it easy Stiles. You've got a while until the first full moon but you'll be stronger than before." Scott can't keep the smile off his face as he releases Stiles and throws his arms around him.
After Scott takes a step back Stiles rubs the back of his neck nervously as he eyes his friends, his family. "Thank you." He says softly to the room.
They all nod and file back out of the room leaving him and Lydia. She moves nervously to the bed and it hurts him a little more than it did before. "Lydia I'm so sor…" He tries to get out but he's cut off as she presses her lips to his. He lets out a startled and very unmanly squeak before he thinks to respond and wraps he arms gently around her and settling them on her hips.
When they break apart she speaks softly but sternly. "Don't you dare apologize to me Stilinski. That wasn't you. Wasn't that what you always told me when I brought up all the horrible stuff I did while Peter was influencing me? It. Wasn't. You."
Though he knows her words are true he also knows he's going to take a while to work through what he's been through. And if Lydia is willing to stand by him that just makes him love her even more.
He sighs brokenly as tears spring forth. "I love you, you know that?" He quakes out.
"Mm Hmm..." She takes his lips upon hers and shows him that she feels exactly the same way.
So this is just a little ditty I wanted to get out. I'm sure Jeff Davis will have us surprised right until the end. I left out Allison and Isaac intentionally at the end. I have a feeling whatever Jeff is stewing up is something to do with the two of them. They kept telling us that she was being haunted by her dead aunt but we haven't gotten really to see that much of that story. I'm going to go way out on a limb here and suggest that perhaps she accidentally kills Isaac like Kate would have her do. Remember Kate hated werewolves and didn't follow any sort of code. I could be way off base here but it could be a possibility. Can't wait to see the next episode! Hope you enjoyed!