h1 style="line-height: 200%;"Chapter 2/h1
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanScott hadn't seen Stiles all day at Beacon Hills High School, and it was the end of the day. He'd missed homeroom and chemistry, and Scott hadn't seen him or heard from him since last night. Stiles' absence from school was not unusual, but his refusal to notify Scott or have an explanation was. Since Lydia was the only other one Stiles may have confided in, Scott tracked her down at her locker./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Hey, Lydia, have you seen Stiles?" Scott asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Nope." She crammed books into her locker. "Isn't he usually with you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I haven't heard from him since last night. He wasn't in school today and I thought maybe he told you something. It's not like Stiles to go completely off grid."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanLydia rolled her eyes and leaned against her locker. "He's probably fine, Scott. This is Stiles we're talking about. He's probably at home right now buried neck deep in his next investigation project."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanScott sighed deeply. "You're right. He probably is. Do you want to come with me to his house to check on him?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Guess so."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThey exited the school. Lydia in her car trailed Scott on his motorcycle. It didn't take long for them to arrive at Stiles' place. Scott felt a little happier when Sheriff Stilinski's police car was placed nearby. After all, if Stiles was in trouble, the whole police department would be searching for him./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe acknowledged the two teenagers. "Hey Scott. Lydia. What are you doing here?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanScott motioned at the sheriff and his home. "I was going to ask you the same thing. I thought you would have been at the station."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I had some papers in my offices I needed to get." He raised a brow. "Where's Stiles?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanLydia's eyes narrowed somewhat. "He's not here?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSheriff Stilinski's pupils constricted. "No. He told me last night he had stayed at Scott's house. I assumed they had both gone to school this morning. Was he not there?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanScott shook his head. "He didn't even stay at my house. Last time I talked to him he was on his way home in the jeep last night." Lydia and Scott shared a concerned expression. Perhaps they have reason to be worried right now./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSheriff Stilinski gripped the folder tightly in his hand, as if he needed something to anchor him. "Then where the hell is my son?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; line-height: 200%;" align="center"******************************/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanStiles kept checking the time until he couldn't stand it any longer and went to Derek's bathroom mirror. He'd stripped off his shirt and hadn't suffered any pain from his wound in a long time, but he was too afraid to strip the bandage and see if it was completely healed. Perhaps it was still there. Maybe it was the calm before the hurricane, and then suddenly, he'd be in excruciating pain. He rubbed his hand over the bandage, wishing it would come off on its own. He had to see or else he'd freak out even more than he already was. He took a deep breath and cautiously pulled off the bandage. The only thing that bothered him was the tape pulling at his skin until he took it all the way off. His free hand caressed the smooth muscle. There was no evidence that the bite mark had ever style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 200%;""The full moon is tomorrow," came Derek's voice from behind Stiles./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanStiles took a step back before calming himself. "Do you have to pop out of nowhere all the time like a horror movie villain?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanDerek walked further into the bathroom. "This is my house. Besides, it looks like the bite took which means we're going to have to prepare for the full moon. Your first one is going to be the hardest."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I remember when Scott went through it. Even though he jumped out the window and a lost him about halfway through." But he recalled Scott's bloodlust clearly because much of the time it was targeted at him./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Here's an idea. Maybe you should call Scott and tell him what happened emnow/em? You know since you're not dying and you're already apart of his little 'pack'."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No, because then Scott will try to help and Lydia and my dad and then I'll try to rip them all apart and I'll never forgive myself." Stiles leaned against the bathroom counter. "I don't even know how to explain all this to them."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanDerek took his phone from his pocket. The screen displayed ten missed calls from Scott's phone number. "You better figure it out quick because I have a feeling he'll be here soon."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Dammit!" Stiles pushed past Derek, donning his ill-fitting shirt once more on the way. He began to put on his shoes, preparing to escape to an unknown location. "You couldn't have answered the phone and given some lie or excuse that you had no idea where I was? No, it seems suspicious."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"It already seemed suspicious. You are the worst person at hiding ever! And you need your friends if you're going to get through this, Stiles. It's possible to get through this."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No!" Stiles took a step forward, right in front of Derek. His expression was furious and terrified at the same time. "I'm the human one. I'm the normal one. I'm the one that helps all my supernatural friends get through everything because I wasn't apart of it. I didn't want this! I didn't want any of it! I never did!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Now that's a lie. There's always been a part of you that wanted what Scott had, especially in the beginning." Derek was not a moron. Stiles' jealousy had caught his attention. It had faded over time, but it had still been style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 200%;"Stiles was at a loss for words, but he knew he was lying, and that Derek was right. When Peter confronted him in the parking structure and offered him the bite, he had thought about it and considered it. He saw his life as a werewolf and thought for a split second how wonderful it could have been. But he ran into the difficulties as well, and it scared him so much that he turned down Peter's proposal./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanStiles' face flushed with terror and anger, and a few tears streamed down his cheek. "I don't want this, Derek."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanDerek pressed his hand into Stiles' shoulder, gripping it. Stiles and he had been at odds from the day they met, but Stiles hadn't deserved this, and he didn't deserve to face it alone. "I know. But we can't change it now. So, we may as well deal with it."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Deal with what?" Lydia and Sheriff Stilinski were standing next to Scott at the open fence. He expected Derek to assist them in locating Stiles, not for Stiles to be with him./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSheriff Stilinski gave Derek a lethal stare. "What the hell is going on?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanScott hadn't seen Stiles all day at Beacon Hills High School, and it was the end of the day. He'd missed homeroom and chemistry, and Scott hadn't seen him or heard from him since last night. Stiles' absence from school was not unusual, but his refusal to notify Scott or have an explanation was. Since Lydia was the only other one Stiles may have confided in, Scott tracked her down at her locker./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Hey, Lydia, have you seen Stiles?" Scott asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Nope." She crammed books into her locker. "Isn't he usually with you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I haven't heard from him since last night. He wasn't in school today and I thought maybe he told you something. It's not like Stiles to go completely off grid."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanLydia rolled her eyes and leaned against her locker. "He's probably fine, Scott. This is Stiles we're talking about. He's probably at home right now buried neck deep in his next investigation project."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanScott sighed deeply. "You're right. He probably is. Do you want to come with me to his house to check on him?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Guess so."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThey exited the school. Lydia in her car trailed Scott on his motorcycle. It didn't take long for them to arrive at Stiles' place. Scott felt a little happier when Sheriff Stilinski's police car was placed nearby. After all, if Stiles was in trouble, the whole police department would be searching for him./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe acknowledged the two teenagers. "Hey Scott. Lydia. What are you doing here?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanScott motioned at the sheriff and his home. "I was going to ask you the same thing. I thought you would have been at the station."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I had some papers in my offices I needed to get." He raised a brow. "Where's Stiles?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanLydia's eyes narrowed somewhat. "He's not here?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSheriff Stilinski's pupils constricted. "No. He told me last night he had stayed at Scott's house. I assumed they had both gone to school this morning. Was he not there?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanScott shook his head. "He didn't even stay at my house. Last time I talked to him he was on his way home in the jeep last night." Lydia and Scott shared a concerned expression. Perhaps they have reason to be worried right now./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSheriff Stilinski gripped the folder tightly in his hand, as if he needed something to anchor him. "Then where the hell is my son?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; line-height: 200%;" align="center"******************************/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanStiles kept checking the time until he couldn't stand it any longer and went to Derek's bathroom mirror. He'd stripped off his shirt and hadn't suffered any pain from his wound in a long time, but he was too afraid to strip the bandage and see if it was completely healed. Perhaps it was still there. Maybe it was the calm before the hurricane, and then suddenly, he'd be in excruciating pain. He rubbed his hand over the bandage, wishing it would come off on its own. He had to see or else he'd freak out even more than he already was. He took a deep breath and cautiously pulled off the bandage. The only thing that bothered him was the tape pulling at his skin until he took it all the way off. His free hand caressed the smooth muscle. There was no evidence that the bite mark had ever style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 200%;""The full moon is tomorrow," came Derek's voice from behind Stiles./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanStiles took a step back before calming himself. "Do you have to pop out of nowhere all the time like a horror movie villain?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanDerek walked further into the bathroom. "This is my house. Besides, it looks like the bite took which means we're going to have to prepare for the full moon. Your first one is going to be the hardest."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I remember when Scott went through it. Even though he jumped out the window and a lost him about halfway through." But he recalled Scott's bloodlust clearly because much of the time it was targeted at him./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Here's an idea. Maybe you should call Scott and tell him what happened emnow/em? You know since you're not dying and you're already apart of his little 'pack'."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No, because then Scott will try to help and Lydia and my dad and then I'll try to rip them all apart and I'll never forgive myself." Stiles leaned against the bathroom counter. "I don't even know how to explain all this to them."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanDerek took his phone from his pocket. The screen displayed ten missed calls from Scott's phone number. "You better figure it out quick because I have a feeling he'll be here soon."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Dammit!" Stiles pushed past Derek, donning his ill-fitting shirt once more on the way. He began to put on his shoes, preparing to escape to an unknown location. "You couldn't have answered the phone and given some lie or excuse that you had no idea where I was? No, it seems suspicious."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"It already seemed suspicious. You are the worst person at hiding ever! And you need your friends if you're going to get through this, Stiles. It's possible to get through this."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No!" Stiles took a step forward, right in front of Derek. His expression was furious and terrified at the same time. "I'm the human one. I'm the normal one. I'm the one that helps all my supernatural friends get through everything because I wasn't apart of it. I didn't want this! I didn't want any of it! I never did!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Now that's a lie. There's always been a part of you that wanted what Scott had, especially in the beginning." Derek was not a moron. Stiles' jealousy had caught his attention. It had faded over time, but it had still been style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 200%;"Stiles was at a loss for words, but he knew he was lying, and that Derek was right. When Peter confronted him in the parking structure and offered him the bite, he had thought about it and considered it. He saw his life as a werewolf and thought for a split second how wonderful it could have been. But he ran into the difficulties as well, and it scared him so much that he turned down Peter's proposal./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanStiles' face flushed with terror and anger, and a few tears streamed down his cheek. "I don't want this, Derek."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanDerek pressed his hand into Stiles' shoulder, gripping it. Stiles and he had been at odds from the day they met, but Stiles hadn't deserved this, and he didn't deserve to face it alone. "I know. But we can't change it now. So, we may as well deal with it."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Deal with what?" Lydia and Sheriff Stilinski were standing next to Scott at the open fence. He expected Derek to assist them in locating Stiles, not for Stiles to be with him./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSheriff Stilinski gave Derek a lethal stare. "What the hell is going on?"/p