Stiles knew this story, a bit too well. The story where all it took was one day, twenty-four hours, to make everything to fall apart. Everything Stiles had worked so hard to build up, to make right, to make okay. After everything that had happened in the past couple years, all the loss, all the pain and agony. Faking smiles and laughs… even faking that he loved someone. He really just wanted to feel right again, feel normal. But once the nightmares started up again, the ones that woke him up in screaming in fear, trying to kick and fight free of a force that wasn't really there. He knew that everything he worked for, was going to fall.

Of course his father came running in gun pointed, ready to kick someone's ass, only to see that it was his nightmares again. Stiles felt the arms wrap around him but his body continued to shake through the fear. It had been months since his last nightmare; both of them truly thinking they were gone again.

It took hours before Stiles was calm enough to let his dad go back to bed, he had to work and Stiles had school. But sleep for him never came, he couldn't sleep…. His dream was already taunting him, playing back in his head over and over again.

Scott knew something was up, he knew his friend all to well to think other wise. But Stiles brushed it off, blamed it on lack of sleep, not a lie but not the full truth. The school day was agonizingly slow. Each period, each teacher seemed to get louder and more annoying that by the time he was in couch's class he had to get out, he needed to leave. His head pounded, his stomach swirled and bubbled. He ignored his teacher's yells for his to sit back down and his best friends worried glances. He didn't care he needed a bathroom.

Every step sent pain through his body, every sound sent spikes to his head. It seemed like an hour had passed before his head was resting against a stall, his body slumped. He couldn't even clearly remember how he had gotten there.

It only took a shift to try and stand to send his stomach acid retching from his mouth and into the white porcelain toilet. Shivers racking through his body over and over, as less and less came out. Once it was over he felt a bit better. Good enough to get him self home at least. He stood up and walked out after flushing the toilet and cleaning himself up a bit.

He didn't even ask to leave he just walked out. He fished his keys out of his pocket and leaned against his jeep. He looked down trying to focus on the keyhole, trying to get himself in, but his hands were shaking so bad. Then he felt hands on his and a deep, not so happy voice called out behind him. Derek… of course if was Derek, he knew Scott must have sent him a message or something.

"I am just trying to get myself home… okay? I don't need some lecture by some wolf with super healing powers, that probably never gets sick" Stiles spoke and pulled his hand back and twisted his head up to look at the man next to him. Tall, dark, handsome… and everything else those cliché books said about sexy men. Stiles heard the angry grumble and leaned against his jeep. "What do you want Derek?" He asked., not really wanting to stay here, he wanted to go home.

"You look like shit Stiles… Are you okay?" Derek asked, voice normal, not showing much emotion at all. He leaned against the jeep as well. A laugh came from Stiles and he shook his head.

"Everyone keeps asking that. I am fine. I just had a rough time sleeping last night. I'm going home now. I'll be okay. I run with wolves, I'm strong" He tried to be his normal self, he smiled and nodded his head, acting like he was cool. Which caused a small smiled tug at Derek's lips. "You know it to! I'm pretty awesome" playing it cool…it was the only way to get away from this quicker. Stiles heart was beating pretty damn fast.

"Yeah so strong Stiles… you really are" Derek shook his head and leaned in a bit "Don't lie to me, I can help you home.. if you need it. Its fine" He spoke and Stiles just shook his head and looked back to the key hole, sliding his key in the first try.

"See I'm fine. If you are so worried then when Scott gets out of school, which is in like two hours then get him and come check on me." Stiles started his jeep and closed the door "I'll most likely be sleeping though…"

Derek just watched him, not sure if he should really be letting him drive. But he really did think that Stiles seems just right in his mind enough to be okay. "Right… I will do that" He nodded and turned and walked off. Feeling a bit guilty and was deciding on if he should just follow Stiles home or not, just to be sure. In the end he decided against it and moved along to wait for Scott.

On the dive home Stiles started to feel twenty times worse. He groaned and swerved on the road a bit. He shook his head; he was so close to being home, so close to his bed. Then he thought that it would be nice to hang out with Derek and Scott for a bit.

That was his last thought before things went back.

When Stiles woke up there was pain all over his body, he could barely even move. He could smell smoke and that shook him up enough to realize he was upside down in his jeep. He groaned and started to panic. He clicked the release button on his belt over and over again until it finally dropped him, giving another blow to his head. He whimpered out in pain as he pulled himself free from the broken window. He was huffing in pain, his gaze blurry as he looked around. He wasn't even sure where the hell he was. Nothing was familiar. Did he drive the wring damn way home or something?

The warmth of his blood seeping through his shirt felt oddly relaxing from the bite of the cold fall air. He couldn't move anymore, wither too weak or something was really broken. His eyes started to flutter closed when he finally heard sirens and saw two faces hovering over his.

Derek watched as the ambulance guys took him away. The anger he felt and himself for not following Stiles, for letting him ago. He stood up and walked over to Scott, anger and pain clear on his face "Why did you call them? I could have helped Scott!" He shouted and Scott glared at him and walked closer.

"Do what? Bite him? You already took some of his pain away Derek. There was nothing you could have done" Scott yelled at him "if you just went with him… Or hell even just followed him you could have stopped it! Why the hell did you wait for me?" He asked, chest heaving, tears still springing from his eyes, watching the ambulance pull away.

Derek pushed and his chest and shook his head "You think that I haven't already thought of that?" He growled and turned around and walked over to the turned over jeep and laid his hand on the crunched metal. He felt sick, he needed to go see Stiles. He needed to know that he was okay. "We need to call his dad"

Scott's faces falling more at that and sighed pulling out his phone, seeing that he already had some missed calls. "Looks like he already knows… shit" He pressed the re call button and held the phone to his ear. The worried voice of Stiles father was loud and made him pulled the phone back for just a bit. "I don't know. I don't… He got up in the middle of class and just…." Scott was cut off and his face whitened "He did? Was the nightmare really that bad?" He sighed and held the phone closer to his ear "He's in the hospital now yeah… Derek and I are on our way" He hung up the phone and walked over to Derek.

Derek looked over to him and took in a breath and set Stiles car right and stepped back. "Let's go" He spoke and ran back to his car on the other side of the street. Scott following behind him, both of their minds racing with wonder of what was wrong with Stiles, and just hoping he was okay.

There was no such thing as walking when they got there. Being wolves they easily avoided hitting anyone. Scott of course already knew which room Stiles was in, thanks to his mom phone call. Mrs. McCall was waiting outside for them with a soft smile. It was more for them to calm down and not worry too much.

"Mom! Mom! Where's Stiles? Is he okay?" Panic clear in Scotts voice as tears started to fall from his eyes again. His mom just smiled some more and pulled her son in for a tight hug and rocked him.

"He's okay. He has yet to wake up, but no signs of a concussion, just bruised pretty badly…and he has a broken arm, a good amount of cuts from glass. But he's okay" Mrs. Mcall told him, but looked to Derek who was pretty obviously trying to hold himself together. "Go a head inside guys. " she spoke and patted her sons back and followed them in.
Derek was the first in. Seeing Stiles in the hospital bed was something he never wanted to see. But there he was, bruises covering his mole speckled skin, his chest moving, breathing normally. Derek pulled up a chair next to the bed and didn't care how much any of his feelings showed. He grabbed the unmoving hand and rested his forehead on it, wishing to take more pain away from the unmoving man in the bed.

Scott watched him and looked to his mother and took in a shaky breath. "I need to go find Stiles father. I need to make sure he's okay too. Stiles would kill me if I didn't" He watched his mother nodded and kiss his cheek and he pulled himself away from her and looked back to Derek "Keep an eye on him" Scott said before removing himself from the room, followed by him mom.

Derek was thankful for the chance to be alone with Stiles. He finally let the couple tears holding in his eyes drop. "Dammit you little idiot. You said you were fine. If I find out you lied to me…and drove home not feeling good. I will kill you" He spoke and closed his eyes, holding his hand tighter. "And if someone did a hit a run, I will track them down and kill them" He growled and really just wanted to hear a response from the younger male, but when nothing came he let a couple more tears fall until he feel asleep.

Stiles woke up in a panic, not too sure where he was. For a moment he feared that he'd slept walk somewhere horrible. It took a moment but he was able to realize he was in the hospital judging by the white sheets and walls, though what really gave it away was the heart monitor. He shifted a bit before sitting up. His hand felt heavy and he glanced down to find it wrapped in the slender fingers of an unfamiliar man who was currently hunched over, sleeping in one of the uncomfortable plastic hospital chairs. Confusion washed over his face. Who was this man? Stiles couldn't help but find the man attractive the longer he stared at him and didn't at all mind the hand holding, but he wasn't sure why.

-

So he sat there, watching the sleeping male… Well, sleep. It was quite calming for him, oddly enough. So when the stubbled man shifted away and sat up with a groan, Stiles quickly moved his eyes to pretend he was just watching the T.V this entire time.

Derek looked over to him and let out a sigh filled with conflicting emotions. "You're awake? Stiles, are you okay?" His first instinct was to make sure the teenager was completely fine. After that he planned on delivering a lecture about stupid ass thinking and the consequences that usually came with poor choices like driving home while that sick.

"Uh… Well I hurt but I'm breathing so I guess I'm fine," Stiles answered and watched relief wash over the mystery man's face. "You obviously know me… But I don't know you." He added and that relieved face went away, replaced with a panicked expression. Derek stood up abruptly and looked to him.

"Please tell me this is one of your misguided attempts at humor." Stiles' blank expression confirmed that it wasn't true. "God damn it, do you seriously have memory loss? No. This can't be fucking happening." He growled and held his head, his anger encouraging his change. He quickly removed himself from the room and stumbled into the bathroom. He stared into the mirror for several moments, watching as his eyes faded from red back to blue and his teeth retracted back into his gums. He wasn't sure why Stiles' not knowing who he was made him so emotional, but it did. He pulled his phone out from the pocket of his leather jacket to call Scott. They needed to see just how bad Stiles' memory loss was.

When Stiles watched the unfamiliar man walk out to meet with his best friend and father, he knew something was wrong even before the worried glances were thrown his way. His father was the first one to rush up to him, asking way too many questions at once.

"Stiles!" Sheriff Stilinski's worried voice nearly cracked as he sat in the chair Derek had vacated moments before. "How do you feel? Why didn't you tell me you were sick? Why didn't you call me?" He hadn't meant to overwhelm his son with a dozen questions but worry pushed them from his lips.

Stiles shook his head. "Dad, I'm fine. Just sore." He glanced back to where Scott and the stranger were arguing. Why did that seem like such a familiar sight to see? He was certain he'd never seen the stern and grumpy looking man before and yet… He really was pretty familiar and Stiles couldn't help but feel like he knew him. Scott obviously knew him from what he could see. This was starting to get frustrating.

His dad nodded, slightly relieved. But still, Derek had said Stiles didn't remember some things… "Stiles. Can you tell me what happened?" Of course, the sheriff already knew every detail of the car crash but he wanted to judge how far his son's memory loss seemed to go back without worrying him.

Stiles parted his lips as if too speak but remained silent. What had happened? He really had no idea. All he could remember was waking up here in the hospital with a ridiculously attractive stranger holding his hand. "I don't remember much, Dad, honestly." He saw the worry and concern openly displayed on his dad's face and felt something twist in his gut. If his dad was this torn up… "Dad, where's mom? I'm sorry for making you both worry but I'm fine. Really." He waved his arms to emphasis his point.

Sheriff Stilinski froze as his son's words registered with him. Oh, God, this couldn't be happening. His heart twisted at the thought of having to inform Stiles that his mother was dead and had been dead for the past three years. "Stiles," he rasped, "how old are you?"

Stiles would be a liar if he said he couldn't notice the look of pain that had flashed in his father's eyes. "Dad. Are /you/ okay? I'm fifteen. Where's mom?" He started to panic, his heart clenching in a familiar feeling that he didn't understand. What was happening? He began panting and gasping for breath, his eyes wide in fear. His father leaped out of the chair and ran passed Scott and the stranger who were both now staring at him; Scott with worry and concern and the stranger with a jumble of undecipherable emotions. He didn't have much time to think because his dad was back, a nurse in tow. He was immediately handed an inhaler. After two or three puffs his breath returned and he collapsed back against the bed, exhausted and confused.

"I think it's best of we leave you alone to rest," the nurse murmured in a motherly voice. Sheriff Stilinski nodded and replied that he'd only stay for a minute. The nurse nodded and left, closing the door behind her. "What the hell was that?" Stiles asked as soon as she was gone.

"Stiles," the Sheriff whispered, gently stroking his son's hair like he had when he was a child. "It was a panic attack. You used to have them all the time after-" He stopped himself and pulled away. "Rest. I'll be back later with Scott and Derek to talk more."

He was about to protest but his dad just turned and walked out, leaving Stiles completely alone in the sickeningly white room. He groaned and let his head slam back down in the pillows, more frustrated than ever. He felt like he was forgetting something. Something really important. He started feeling drowsy and stifled a yawn. Where was his mom? And who was Derek? Why did that name sound so familiar? Those questions floated around in his mind as sleep overtook him. The last thing he saw was red eyes and a stubbled face. Derek…