A/N: Thank you for all the support everyone! Continue to review and I will continue to update as fast as I can!
Chapter 3: Scealta
A jewel is not polished without rubbing,
Nor a man perfected without trials.
"May I ask you a question?" I asked Stiles, handing him the bag with the sandwiches I had made this morning. It was almost time for school, Scott had gone ahead, but Stiles had once again volunteered to stay with Jackson instead. I had ran to the spot in the woods with the police transport vehicle this early, with just enough time to have a conversation before I was late to class.
"You just did." Stiles told me, his face lighting up as he opened the bag to see the food "but yeah, sure. Anything for my savior! Thanks for the food."
"Why haven't you told your father the truth?" I asked, noticing how Stiles tensed "I know it is not my place to ask. I'm just.. Curious. I know you do not like to lie to him, would it not be easier if he knew?"
"No, it's okay." Stiles said, sighing deeply and relaxing a little before answering. "I guess I do it to protect him. Since Scott got bit, we are involved no matter what. My dad.. My dad is all I have besides Scott, and I think keeping him in the dark is the only way to keep him safe from all of this."
I stopped and considered his words a moment, smiling gently at him. "That is very brave of you."
"Is it? Sometimes it feels selfish. I couldn't bear to lose him, I think it would kill me. So I keep him in the dark even though he would want to know." Stiles said sadly
"I think it is the opposite." I said confidently "It is almost completely selfless. You are thinking of your father's well being before what would make your life easier. A lot of people would have told him, passing the responsibility on to an adult or the police, but instead you and Scott shoulder the burden so he does not have too. It is quite admirable."
"Thanks." Stiles said, a contemplating look on his face. "I think I needed to hear that."
"Of course." I responded, looking at him seriously and clapping him on the shoulder. "You are not alone anymore. I am not going anywhere, anytime soon."
"I'll hold you to that." Stiles told me, grinning once again and lightening the serious atmosphere around us. "Now, go to school or you'll be late!"
"What about you?" I protested "You stayed all last night!"
"I've aldy clghed ot fer togay" Stiles said, talking around the mouthful of sandwich he had pulled out of the bag.
"May you repeat that, but in English?" I asked, grimacing in disgust, before chuckling a little and handing him a bottle of water I had brought. "I could stay with you, if you are staying."
"I've already called out for today." Stiles said with a wink, gulping the water and swallowing before he repeated the words. "The more of us out of school, the more suspicious it would look. Now, off to school, Hyland! Go learn something."
I scowled at him but did not say anything because I knew he was right. I huffed childishly, rolling my eyes and turning on my heel to head through the preserve to get to the school. Stiles laughed at either my misfortune of having to go to school or my behavior, I was not sure which one.
"Don't forget to take notes and get my homework!" Stiles called after me in an amused tone of voice as I began jogging. I flipped him a rather rude hand gesture, smiling as I heard the chortle my action had evoked from him. I was surprised at how easily I communicated with Stiles, I hadn't been so at ease with someone in quite awhile. It was especially strange because how small amount of a time we had known one another. I chalked it up to his easygoing, talkative nature as well as the danger we had been through already, along with Scott.
By the time I made it to school, it was half-way into first period. I could not really bring myself to care, honestly, so I opened the door and made my way quietly to my seat so as not to interrupt the class. The first few periods were uneventful, but I dutifully took detailed notes in my neat handwriting and collected Stiles' homework in the classes we shared a teacher or were in together. During lunch, I saw Scott sitting at an empty table and I walked over, sitting down across from the teenage werewolf.
"Hello." I said, waving with one arm as I dug an apple out of my bag.
"Hey!" Scott said a little excitedly, a peculiar gleam in his eye as he looked at me. "I'm glad you came to school!"
"Why is that?" I asked suspiciously, wondering what he wanted and taking a bite out of my apple.
"Can't I just be glad my friend is here and that I'm not eating lunch alone?" Scott asked, faking a pout and turning his best puppy eyes on me.
"You can." I agreed, raising an eyebrow at him. "However, in my experience, when someone responds to a question with another question in the same manner as you just did, it means they are either avoiding a subject or they want something, and do not want to admit it."
"Okay." Scott confessed, deflating a little. "I need a favor."
"How may I help, Scott?" I asked, shaking my head and smiling a little at him.
"I'm going to ask Danny about Jackson after school." explained Scott, pausing for a moment as he took a drink. "I want you to come with me."
"Why?" I asked, confused "I barely know him. Certainly not well enough to warrant a visit to him in the hospital."
"Well, because.. You're.." Scott said, gesturing to my face and stumbling with his words. "You know."
"You want me to seduce it out of him." I said, a blank look on my face.
"Well, he likes to look at you. I mean, you're nice to look at. Uh, wait-" Scott was flustered and turning a lovely shade of red as he tried to find the right words.
"Aw. You think I'm handsome, Scott?" I fake cooed, fluttering my eyelashes at him in an over exaggerated manner. "Does Allison know you go both ways? I would hate to come betwee-"
"Shut up." Scott groaned, putting his head between his hands, his face turning an even more vibrant shade of red. "Please don't make this even more embarrassing."
"Alright." I laughed and quit poking fun at the cute werewolf. "I will come with you."
"Thanks, man." Scott said, his face going back to the normal shade of tan.
Scott and I spent the rest of lunch goofing off with one another and just enjoying eachothers company. I asked questions about some things I had not understood on the television last night, and Scott patiently answered all of them, but not without teasing me first. The two of us had not been in any real social situation together, so it was quite amazing to see this light hearted side of Scott. Usually, we only talked about the supernatural or some plan; this time, however, we talked about his mother, Ireland, and he even regaled me with stories about times he and Stiles had gotten into trouble with one another. I think we both needed the chance to pretend to be normal, because we carefully avoided any topic involving the supernatural for the entire period. I got up from the table when the bell rang, my ribs hurting slightly from laughing so much, and I felt much lighter than I had when I sat down at the beginning of lunch.
My next class was Art and we were still working on the project to paint a memory that evokes a strong emotion. I was quite close to being done, so I was excited to attend and work on it today. I set up my easel with practiced ease, got the paint out that I would need, and looked over it critically. Allison had taken to setting her belongings next to mine, with Lydia on her other side. The two girls greeted me as they walked into class, Allison walking over to where I had already gotten started while Lydia went to grab some supplies.
"Wow." Allison said, admiring my painting of Huangshang, a mountain in the southern province of China renowned for the aesthetics. The mountain had the most fascinating irregular outcroppings and beautiful sunsets that painted the sky in an orange-pink color that was next to impossible to recreate on canvas, though I was doing my best. "That's a memory?"
"Yes." I told her with a fond smile at the painting. "A sight I have not seen in three hundred years."
"Three hundred?" Allison sputtered, eyes wide with shock, and I realised the mistake I had made too late.
"Shh!" I hissed, bumping her arm with mine. "Say it louder next time."
"That's.." Allison said, trailing off while she processed the information. "That is crazy. You must have seen so many amazing things."
"Yes." I told her wistfully, glancing to see her eyes locked onto my face as I spoke. "I have also seen my share of pain, of horrible things. Unspeakable things. The past is somewhere it is best not to dwell in, not when there are future moments to look forward too."
"I think I understand what you're saying." Allison said thoughtfully, and the rest of the time was spent in a companionable silence as we worked.
I met up with Scott after the final bell and we headed to the hospital to visit Danny, to see what he knew about why Jackson would be coming after him as the Kanima. Ever since my talk with Allison, I had been rather melancholy; it was such a big change from lunch, and that was why Scott kept sending me worried glances in between looking at the road.
"Are you okay?" He asked as we pulled out of the parking lot in his Mom's vehicle.
"I am fine." I assured him, shooting a soft smile that I am positive he could tell was fake. I did not bother trying any better because I knew he would know I was lying; the guy is a werewolf, after all.
"My mom always says fine stands for freaking out, insecure, neurotic, and emotional." Scott said, which instantly got me to start chuckling which in turn made him smile as well. Scott was so incredibly nice, always looking out for everyone else.
"I have done a lot I am not proud of." I told him, being purposefully vague
"We all have." Scott said reassuringly "We all make mistakes.
"I have been around much longer than most. I have made more mistakes than most." I said doubtfully "I have done a lot more bad than most."
"I think you shouldn't focus on the past so much." Scott said, earning another chuckle from having my advice from earlier thrown back at me. "Besides, I'd be willing to bet you have done a lot more good than most people as well."
"You're right, of course. I am dwelling, it is silly of me." I said, brightening up a little. I just needed to remember all the good things I have ever done.
"I know!" said Scott cheerfully, making a funny face and once again causing me to laugh.
"You are ridiculous, Scott McCall!" I exclaimed, making my own funny face in return.
"Please." Scott scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Don't forget cute and hilarious, by the way!"
Scott turned up the radio using a dial and proceeded to tunelessly sing along to some song about fireworks. By the time we arrived at the hospital, I had a stitch in my side and a grin on my face, my previous mood forgotten almost completely. We sobered up as we got out of the car, adorning serious looks before we took the elevator to the floor Scott said Danny would be on. The hospital smelled of chemicals, making me scrunch my nose up in disgust, and all of the workers were running around; it looked like organized chaos when the doors opened. Scott seemed to fall right into the chaos as though it were second nature, and that plus him not even noticing the smell, reminded me that his mother worked at this very hospital. He was probably here quite a bit. When we reached the door, Scott knocked and waited for the come in before opening the door and gesturing for me to go first. Danny was sitting on the bed and had just picked up his bag from the floor when we walked in.
"Hey, Scott!" Danny said, smiling, and then a look of surprise came over him when he noticed me. "Hey, Cian. `What are you guys doing here?"
"I wanted to check on you." Scott told him, smiling until he noticed Danny's face drop a little. I noticed it as well, and thought about what Scott had said.
"When Scott told me he was coming, I thought I would check to see if you were alright as well." I said, sending him my most charming smile. Danny's face immediately perked up as soon as the words were out of my mouth. I was right, he had been disappointed when Scott implied he was the one coming and I had just tagged along. I gave Danny a bashful look, before adding "I hope that was okay?"
"Yeah, definitely. I'm way glad you came." Danny said, basically ignoring Scott and staring straight at me. "I'm great! They are letting me out, actually."
"That's great!" Scott said "So is everything okay between you and Jackson?"
"Yeah, everything is fine." Danny told him with a strange look on his face. Scott was about as subtle as a bull inside of a shop made of glass. Danny shrugged while he rifled through his bag, and then let out a groan when he realized something was missing. "Did they have to take my fake ID?"
"You didn't do anything to make him angry?" Scott asked, watching intently as Danny contemplated his question.
"How angry?"
Scott glanced at me, I shrugged, and then he looked back at Danny. "On a scale of one to ten - one being 'kind of irritated' and ten 'wanting to kill you violently.'"
Well.." Danny said, looking at the two of us "He's always kind of at a four, but we're good! I was actually doing him a favor."
"What was the favor?" I asked, my curiosity piqued
"I was recovering a video for him. I put it on my tablet." Danny answered, wincing as he continued. "Which is still in the trunk of my car. Which is still at the club, unless it got towed."
"What was on the video?" Scott all but demanded
"I'm not really supposed to say." Danny responded unsurely, looking back and forth between us.
"Danny, what would you say if I told you this was a matter of life and death." Scott persisted
"I'm not supposed to say." Danny said, raising his eyebrows but staying firm. Scott gave me a pointed look before he said that he wanted to talk to his mom before we left. I told him I would be here and to come get me when he was done.
"Danny." I said softly, smiling as I sat down on the bed next to him. I was relatively short for a male, only five feet and seven inches, so compared to Danny I was short. I had to look up at him, but it worked in my favor; I looked up through my eyelashes at him, trying to look bashful. "I admire you, you know."
Danny blushed and ducked his head a little, before meeting my gray eyes again. "What? Why?"
"I think it is amazing that you would keep your friends secret." I told him honestly, reaching over and touching his arm. I ran my fingers along the muscles in his forearm as I continued to talk to him "and believe me when I say that I would never ask you to betray that trust if it was not important. So, please Danny, what was on the video?"
Danny sighed, looking down at his hands while he spoke. "I honestly don't know. It was a recording of him sleeping. What I do know is that someone deleted part of the video, and when Matt pointed that out to me, I recovered the missing footage. I never saw that though, I didn't look!"
"Okay. Thank you so much, Danny." I said, smiling at him as I stood up. "I will not tell anyone what you told me. You really are a great friend."
"Thanks." Danny said, and then I saw a flash of determination come across his face. "Would you like to go out sometime? With me? On a date?"
"I am flattered, Danny." I told him, and he shot me a disappointed look. "You are gorgeous, sweet, and funny. I do not date. My last relationship ended badly, and it would not be fair to either of us for me to start something with another person. Especially with the state of my life right now."
"Okay. I guess I understand." Danny said, still looking disappointed, before he smiled at me. "If you ever change your mind?"
"You will be the first to know." I promised, walking out of door and almost running into Scott. I scowled at him and he held out his hands defensively. "It is rude to eavesdrop."
"Sorry." Scott apologized sheepishly "I was coming to get you. We have to meet Allison and Stiles after we look for the tablet. Police know Jackson is missing."
"Damn." I cursed and the two of us hurried out of the room, down the elevator, and towards his mom's car quickly. Scott told me he had not listened to everything, so he wanted me to recap everything Danny had said for him while we drove over to the club.
"He must have been recording the change." Scott said, glancing as I hummed in agreement. When we arrived to Danny's car, we popped the trunk and found it unsatisfyingly empty. Scott cursed before he quickly said to forget it and got back into the car, ready to go after Allison and Stiles. As we were heading to the preserve, Scott sent me a sly look. "So.. Danny asked you out, huh?"
"Yes." I said, refusing to elaborate.
"And you said no." Scott continued
"Yes."
"Why?" Scott asked
"You heard why, I am sure." I said, looking out the window.
"I thought that was a cop out." Scott admitted, pausing for a moment. "I really wasn't trying to eavesdrop on a private conversation. It can be hard not too, as I'm sure you know."
"I know." I said, rolling my eyes and shooting him a tight smile. "My last relationship was bad, and I also hardly ever take mortals seriously when they have crushes; it is the physical appeal that all of my race possesses. They are not attracted to me for my mind, but my body; I am too old to want a purely physical relationship."
"So, it was that bad?" Scott asked, watching as my knuckles turned white on the hand gripping my cane.
"It was that bad." I told him quietly
"Ru Xiang!" A messenger called my name from outside my home. It was a nice, one level home with rice paper doors and a beautiful garden in the very center. The entire dwelling radiated a peace and calmness my life presently lacked, and I drew strength from it for that reason. I moved quickly from the spot in the garden I had been meditating in, making my way to the sliding door to reveal the worried Chinese boy.
"What news?" I asked the out of breath boy, who had obviously ran the entire way here from most likely the palace itself. He had nicer clothes on than most servants, which is why I assumed he was from the palace proper.
"Ru Xiang." The messenger repeated, bowing low out of respect for me before his watering eyes pinned me down in place, causing my heart to feel ten times its normal weight. "You must help us! Lord Tao has gone mad! He executed the council and has begun slaughtering his servants. The guards do nothing but obey him! You are the only one who can help! Please, my sister is in there!"
I grabbed my sword from the hallway and strapped it around my waist. I ran, forgetting my horse and knowing it would most likely slow me down anyway. I ran at an inhuman speed, flying by humans and buildings until they were but a flash of color on either side of me. As I drew near to the palace, I could hear the screams and I could almost smell the terror in the air. The screams were loud, coming from the throne room, and it was there that I hastened. As I approached the doors, two guards with spears blocked my path.
"Move." I ordered, looking at them with hard eyes and a blank face.
"Lord Tao has commanded us to allow no one in or out until he bids us to do so." One of the guards spoke, lowering his eyes so as to not meet mine. The people knew well of me, and they knew what I was capable of.
"Move, or I will move you." I said again, looking between the two coldly.
"Please, we are only doing our jo-" The one who was speaking for them both was cut off as I slashed his throat, before turning to the other and grabbing the spear as he tried to impale me on it. I quickly got behind him, holding the spear, and put my knee into his back as I brought the spear to his throat and suffocated him with his own weapon.
"May you find peace in the next life." I murmured as I stepped over the, forcing the doors open with a loud bang.
The sight that greeted me made my heart clench and my stomach turn uneasily. Blood covered the once smooth, wondrous marble floors of the throne room. I saw the golden throne surrounded by five bodies; the five members of the council, charged with the task of guiding Lord Tao in the event he needed counseling. The noise stopped abruptly, all eyes going to me, and I saw Lord Tao with a knife to a young girls throat, who was shivering and staring at me with horror and fear in her dark, brown eyes.
"Ru Xiang." Lord Tao spat viciously, as though my name were the most offensive curse word to pass his lips. I flinched as I saw the once benevolent ruler cut the girl's throat without a hint of mercy, the blood pouring down her front in a fountain of red. There was only malice on the man's face as he stepped over her body, pausing to wipe his dagger on her already stained dress, and I saw only madness in his eyes. Nothing was left of the man; there was no humanity in those eyes. "Are you here to save these worthless lives?"
"Dorgon." I said evenly, meeting his eyes with my own stormy gray. I lifted my sword up and prepared myself to fight; I needed to steel my resolve, for there was only one way for this to end.
"Is that why you left Ireland?" Scott asked, ripping me from my memory unceremoniously.
"No." I told him honestly. "Maybe one day I will tell you both stories."
"If you do want to talk about it, I'll be here to listen." Scott promised, his face filled with such sincerity.
"Thank you." I said, nodding my head and sitting up straighter in my seat as the prison transport van came into view; the spot they had moved it too was pretty far removed from where it had been, Scott had to get detailed directions from Stiles. As we exited the car, scott explained our encounter with Danny to them as fast as he could, not mentioning the part where he asked me out.
"Do you think he knows where it is?" Stiles asked when Scott finished, referring to Jackson.
"No." Scott replied, shaking his head. "If Jackson doesn't remember being the Kanima, he's not gonna remember stealing Danny's tablet."
"Jackson was naked when we found him." I pointed out, making Stiles gag a little.
"Thanks for reminding me." He said sarcastically
"I mean,, he did not have it on his person." I said, rolling my eyes at his dramatics.
"Why would he steal it if he doesn't even know what's on it?" Stiles asked rhetorically, catching on to my train of thought. "What if someone else took it?"
"Then someone else knows what he is." Allison said
"Uh." Scott said, thinking "Which could mean someone is protecting him."
"Like the bestiary says 'The kanima seeks a friend', right?" Allison said almost triumphantly
"Okay, so hold on." Stiles said, pacing back and forth as he thought and spoke. "So, somebody watches Jackson make a video of himself turning into the Kanima, and then just erases part of it so he wouldn't know? I mean, who would do that?"
"Someone who wanted to protect him?" I asked unsurely
"There's something else." Scott said, looking directly at Stiles. "You said the only thing you found online about the Kanima is that it goes after murderer's. What if that's actually true?"
"No, it can't be." Stiles dismissed instantly "It tried to kill all of us, remember? I don't know about you three, but I haven't murdered anyone lately."
I winced at his words and felt my stomach drop. Scott must have heard my heartbeat quicken because he threw me a cautious, worried look before he spoke again.
"But I - I don't think that it was actually trying to kill us." Scott said, looking at Allison. "Remember when we were at Isaac's the first time, it just went right by us, didn't it?"
"You're right." Allison agreed, nodding her head as it dawned on her. "It just ran off."
Scott looked back to Stiles. "And it didn't kill you at the mechanic's garage!"
"Well, yeah, but it tried to kill me and Derek at the pool." Stiles argued, and then pointed at me. "And Cian!"
"What if it was only trying to keep you in the pool?" Scott countered
"Why do I feel so violated all of a sudden?" Stiles asked, looking at me and dramatically shivering.
"Because there is something else going on and we do not know what it is." I said, contemplatively "What is going on with Jackson? Why is someone protecting him and who is it?"
"Know thy enemy." Allison muttered, and I looked at her in surprise. "Just something my grandfather said."
"Sun Tzu." I stated, shaking my head "Of course he quotes the Art of War."
"I got it!" Stiles suddenly exclaimed, as though he just had an epiphany. He continued with a deadpan look on his face when he saw all of us looking at him. "Kill Jackson. Problem solved."
"Stiles." I said sharply "Once you go down that road, there is no coming back."
"He risked his life for us." Scott added, looking at his best friend with an expectant look on his face. "Against Peter, you remember that?"
"Yes, but what did we just find out?" Stiles asked, clearly frustrated "He got the bite from Derek. It's funny how he just got exactly what he wanted by supposedly risking his life. It's funny."
"Yeah." Scott agreed, sighing tiredly "It doesn't mean he is not worth saving."
"It's always something with him."
"He doesn't know what he's doing." Scott reminded Stiles patiently
Stiles just scoffed "So what? You warned him he shouldn't get the bite."
"But he did. I didn't know what I was doing either!" Scott said fiercely "Remember when I almost killed you and Jackson? I had somebody to stop me. He has no one."
"That's his own fault." Stiles said bluntly, looking at all of us but lowering his eyes when he noticed my disappointed look. I wonder if he was remembering the conversation about his selflessness now as I was.
"It doesn't matter." Scott said with a finality to his tone, indicating the discussion was over as far as he was concerned. "If we can save him, we should try."
Stiles grumbled a little, but agreed that we are going to try to save him. Now the only thing we have to do is figure out how to do that while keeping him from killing anyone else.
"Allison and I can watch him tonight." Scott offered "We just both have to go home for a few hours first."
"I'll stay for now, you three go ahead." I said, waving them off casually in a shooing motion.
"Nah, I'll stay with you." Stiles said, before looking at me "If that's okay? I can get started on some of that school work. My dad will be out and about anyways."
"Sure." I agreed with a shrug
Stiles and I spent most of the time Allison and Scott were gone in silence, only occasionally talking to one another when Stiles would get too restless or had a question about the work he was doing. I meditated while he worked, listening to the sounds of the forest and the scratching of his pencil on paper. Every now and then I would open my eyes and watch him as he worked; he was constantly doing something. Chewing on a pen cap, bouncing his leg. His tongue poked out from behind his pink lips when he concentrated and his brows furrowed when he was deep in thought. I enjoyed how full of life and energy Stiles always was.
"When Scott and Allison get back, I think I'm going to check on Lydia." Stiles said, breaking the silence. "Do you want a ride home? It's on my way."
"Yes, please." I replied "Is everything okay with her?"
"Yeah. I guess." said Stiles, looking conflicted. "I told her one night I would be there for her. I got stuck in the pool, and I can't explain why, so she thinks I ditched her."
"Oh." I said, wincing sympathetically "That's a tough one."
"Yeah." Stiles agreed "I think I blew it."
"Blew it?" I asked, confused
"Messed up my chance to possibly date her." Stiles clarified, smiling like he normally does when I don't know a modern phrase or expression. "She hasn't forgiven me."
"Well, if she truly likes you, I am positive she will come around." I told him
"Maybe." Stiles said, shutting his book and turning to face me fully. "I've had a crush on her since like the third grade. She never even noticed me; hell, she didn't even know my name until Scott started dating Allison and made first line."
I did not say anything. I figured Stiles just needed someone to listen for awhile and take him seriously; so that is exactly what I did.
"I mean," He continued, laughing bitterly in a self-deprecating way "Allison had to basically blackmail her to go to formal with me, and even then she was thinking about Jackson the entire time. And went to find him! Now, she's mad at me for ditching her, the same thing she did to me at winter formal, when all she has ever done is ignore me! I tried to be there!"
Stiles stood up abruptly and began pacing, something I have noticed he only does when he his anxious or thinking, while he ranted. I followed his footsteps with my eyes and continued to listen to him as he talked about how frustrated he was.
"That just isn't fair!" Stiles exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air out of sheer frustration. "She doesn't know how important it was that I leave, and she doesn't know how I literally could not come back to talk with her! Yet, somehow, even after the way she's treated me for so many damn years, I am still the one apologizing! I can tell you so much about her, but I bet she couldn't even tell you what my favorite color is."
"What is it?" I asked him, causing Stiles to look at me with a startled expression, as though he had forgotten I was here or he was expecting me not to listen.
"What is what?" Stiles asked, bewildered
"Your favorite color, Stiles." I said with a small laugh
"Oh." Stiles said blankly, blinking at me before once again taking a seat next to me. "It's green. What's yours?"
"It doesn't matter." I told him dismissively, shrugging and patting him on the knee. "If she cannot see how great you are-"
"Then she doesn't deserve me and I should move on." Stiles said, interrupting me. "My dad says the same thing, but-"
"No." I said, pointedly looking at him while interrupting him. "If she does not notice, then one day someone will. I cannot tell you to move on because that is not how emotions work; I cannot tell you how to feel. Emotions are not just a fire you can put out with a bucket of water. What I do know is whatever you feel for Lydia, when someone who appreciates you, respects you, and loves you just as much as you do for them; it will blow whatever feelings you may have for Lydia out your mind completely. It will be like jumping out of one of those airplanes or coming up for fresh air after being underwater for too long."
Stiles took what I said and let it sink in, his eyes focused on the ground as he thought about what I said. Finally, he turned to me. "You really think so?"
"I know it." I told him confidently, waving my hand in the air in a general motion. "Stiles, I am four hundred and three years old. I promise when - not if, but when- it will make all of this have been worth it. Who knows? It may even be Lydia, just a few years down the road. For now, just remember that it may be stormy right now, Stiles, but it never rains forever. Just be patient and play in the rain while you wait for the sun."
Suddenly, Stiles yanked me into a hug, my head resting on his shoulder, buried next to his neck. He had an interesting smell; it was like the musk that most teenagers had, mixed with mint and something sweet. I hugged him tight, knowing sometimes people just needed to feel a strong embrace around them; I also know that hugging provides manual stimulation to the parasympathetic system, which restores balance to the nervous system.
"You're really good at giving advice." Stiles mumbled into my neck. "And listening."
"Both of which come from old age." I joked, pulling away from him slowly.
"I appreciate it. I'm also glad you feel comfortable enough to tell me how old you are, I know you said it was a personal thing." Stiles said, the tips of his ears burning red for some reason. "Just play in the rain."
Pretty soon, when it had just begun to get dark outside, Allison and Scott came to relieve us of guard duty. I told them both goodnight before hopping into the Jeep, and telling Stiles thank you and goodnight before I got out. I watched as he drove off, then headed into my house to cook dinner before I tried to finish the mural in my second bedroom. I was glad that for once, since I had gotten here, it seemed like we had things under control; no more killings, at least. Hopefully we can figure out what is going on before the next disaster strikes.