Hey guys! Hope you guys weren't too upset- I didn't want to have Stiles come out of it just automatically completely fine like they so often do in the show. Personally I like seeing the aftermath of the situations. So as you could probably tell, this story is coming to a close. There will only be one more chapter in this story posted on either Monday or Tuesday (I'm going away for the weekend so I wont have time to finish and edit it until Sunday night/Monday.) But hopefully Monday morning you'll all get to see how I end this fiction. Thanks for sticking with me and enjoy the new chapter! Please review :)

CHAPTER 25

"…three, four, five, six, come on Stiles." Melissa said, pumping his chest in rhythm to how his heart should be beating. Behind the commotion, Liam was pacing. Kira had her hand over her mouth as she watched the scene in front of her unfold while Malia stood frozen above Melissa, staring at Stiles as she kept her hearing tuned on his heart. Lydia was cradling Stiles' head, staring down at his bloody face as tears streamed down her own. Nononononono come on Stiles wake up wake up wake up, she kept repeating in her head. She couldn't lose him. She couldn't lose someone else so close to her. Another best friend. She couldn't stand it if she lost someone who meant so much to her. Not after Allison.

Scott was kneeling besides her, eyes only for his best friend. The longer his mother tried to get Stiles' heart to beat, the more despair crept into Scott's heart. He felt like he was dying. He didn't know this kind of pain was possible. It felt like he the world was collapsing around him. He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe; he could only stare helplessly as his mother tried her hardest to bring back his brother. A part of him wanted to comfort his friends around him, but at that moment, he couldn't bring himself to help them- his eyes were glued to Stiles and he couldn't look away.

Sherriff Stilinski's eyes were wet, and he seemed to be barely in control of himself. He was shaking as he stared at his only child. His son. His only family. When Melissa's continuous CPR got no response, he started screaming at his son. "Don't you dare do this to me Stiles. You hear me? Don't you dare give up!" His tears began to spill over and he placed his head next to Stiles', closing his eyes as he whispered "Please come back."

Melissa would not give up. She continued CPR past a time where a doctor would have called it. Because this wasn't just a regular patient. This was Stiles Stilinski. The son of the Sheriff, the best friend of her kid, and a second son to her. "Come on Stiles. Come on Stiles!"

Finally, after four of the longest minutes any of them had ever witnessed, Stiles inhaled on his own. Scott was so tuned into the absence of the sound that it was like a drum being slammed next to his ear as his best friends heart began to beat. But he welcomed it like the best gift he'd ever gotten. Relief swept through him like a wave, adrenaline finally slowing down.

Suddenly, everything that he'd been through came rushing back. The guilt about not knowing all the times Stiles had been in trouble, the times he'd taken Stiles for granted, all the times he'd almost died, feeling like he'd failed his brother- only to break him out of his mind and watch him die all over again. Before he knew what was happening, Scott was sobbing. He didn't care that he was an alpha, that he was supposed to be the strong one, that the room was full of people. He didn't care about anything except for the heartbeat he could now hear as clear as day. Malia kneeled down as Lydia leaned forward as they put their arms around Scott, each of them leaning on the others in support of the traumatic events of the day. Scott looked up to see the Sheriff hugging his mother tightly in a gesture of thanks, before returning to his sons side.

Outside, sirens became louder and louder as an ambulance pulled up in front of the house. A stretcher was wheeled inside and the two men began immediately asking questions. Melissa stood up, explained who and what she was, along with a brief (and slightly altered) truth about what had just transpired. The pack cleared a path to let the men through and watched anxiously as they loaded the unconscious Stiles onto the stretcher and into the ambulance. Mr. Stilinski got in the back with his son as they closed the doors, turned on the siren, and rushed to the hospital. Immediately, everyone gathered their things and headed to the cars. Melissa piled into the driver side of her car and waited as Scott, Kira, and Liam got in and buckled before she took off behind the ambulance. Malia and Lydia followed behind them from Lydias car. Kira grasped Scotts hand the whole way, as he's okay he's okay he's okay echoed through his head.

…..

For the first time in what felt like forever, Stiles was dreaming. No traumatic memories plagued his mind as his brain thought up the most random images possible. When his dreams shifted, it was only for the better. His mind allowed him to go back to the day he and Scott had paired up for a science project in fifth grade. They completely destroyed Scotts kitchen, and Melissa was not happy. But both of them were laughing so hard at something stupid that she couldn't yell at them with a straight face. His dream changed again and he was being pushed on the swings by his mother. Heather was next to him as she was pushed by her own mother, but as she went out of Stiles's line if sight, she disappeared and Scott took her place, being pushed by Melissa. All four of them were smiling brightly, and Stiles was elated. He could see his father laughing from the side of the swing set and all Stiles could think of is that this was where he belonged. He was with his family. His dad, his two moms, and his brother. Stiles felt the dream fading as a beeping sound became more prominent and he allowed himself to stay for another few precious seconds before everything went white, and he blinked groggily.

When he opened his eyes, the first thing Stiles saw was a bright light above his head, and he shut his eyes tightly before blinking rapidly as his adjusted to the light. His nose and mouth felt dry, and he realized he had an oxygen tube under his nose. He looked down and found himself in a hospital bed, wires attached to his finger and snaking under his hospital gown to his chest. He had a pounding headache but other than that, he didn't really know why he was here. He felt fine- had something happened after he woke up? The beeping he'd heard in his dream was slightly louder now, and he looked to his right to see a heart monitor recording his heartbeat. He looked around the room as he rubbed his temple.

Every chair was occupied by sleeping friends and family. Lydia and Malia had fallen asleep on each other's shoulders in a two person hospital couch at the end of his bed, while Liam was just straight out sprawled on the window sill counter next to the furnace. Kira was in a chair between them with her mouth open as her head hung back on the chair. Melissa was right outside the room holding a chart as she chatted with another nurse. Stiles looked down to see his father asleep in a chair, head resting in his hands on Stiles' hospital bed, and Scott on the other side of his bed, awake and glancing at his mom in the hallway. He was clearly eavesdropping, and Stiles rolled his eyes as he reached up to take the breathing tube away from his nose.

"You know it's actually rude to eavesdrop." Scott twisted around with wide eyes "Or at least that's what the sheriff over there has told me on multiple occasions." Stiles said, smirking.

"Stiles." Scott said, flat out staring at him.

"Uh yeah… that's me." Stiles said, giving Scott a weird look. "You okay Scottie?"

Scott didn't answer, just stood up and lunged forward, throwing his arms around his best friend and squeezing tightly. Stiles froze in surprise for a second before hugging him back just as tight. "That bad huh?" He asked, only half-jokingly. Scott just hugged him tighter in response. He hadn't realized how good it would be just to see Stiles alive, awake, and talking like his old self. "Okay uh, Scott? I can't breathe dude." Immediately Scott let go and backed away in alarm.

"Oh my God I'm sorry, do you need me to get a nurse? I'll get a nurse." He said, standing up.

"What? Why? No no- Scott I'm fine, relax." He laughed. Scott slowly lowered himself back into the chair, looking at Stiles in suspicion.

"You're not fine Stiles. You died today. And it was my fault."

"Dude what are you talking about?" Stiles asked. He remembered what happened with Theo, seeing Scott and Lydia in his mind, waking up to see his father in front of him. The only thing he remembered after that was his dreams. What he didn't get was how it was supposedly Scotts fault.

"It was me and Lydia. We stayed too long inside your mind. My mom told me we were in there for over two hours. It's supposed to only take a matter of minutes. Stiles, I'm so sorry." Scotts eyes were welling up and it was freaking Stiles out a little bit. He'd rarely seen Scott this guilt ridden and upset.

"Whoa whoa- Scott it's not your fault, I'm the one who trapped myself there in the first place, and that only happened because of Theo okay? You were just trying to save me from my own stupid head. And I'm completely fine see? I'm awake, head feels fantastic, totally okay. Wait a second did you say I died?" Scott smirked at the look on his face and nodded. "What the hell. Again? At least no supernatural beacons were lit up this time. Wait" His eyes widened "No supernatural beacons were lit up this time right?"

Scott laughed quietly, trying to try and keep quiet for all of those sleeping in the room. "No, no supernatural beacons."

"Oh thank God. We already have enough crap to deal with." He said, leaning back onto his pillows. The noise of the boys laughing woke up the Sheriff, who immediately embraced his son with shaky hands for a solid minute, not saying anything. Stiles hugged him back tightly.

"It's ok dad. You've still got me." He said, and the sheriff backed up and smiled at his son.

"I better, because if you ever do something like that again I'll kill you myself."

"Dad that doesn't actually make sense given the circumstances." Stiles said, lifting an eyebrow.

"Oh, don't be a smart-ass." Stiles snorted and his dad clapped him on the back. Mr. Stilinski went to get Melissa and let her know Stiles was up.

"My mom managed to let us all stay here after visiting hours were over. I guess having connections helps." He smirked.

"So what exactly happened? I remember the Theo attacking me, and before I knew it I was standing with you and Lydia in my house, then back at the clinic watching myself get attacked by Theo, and then I remember waking up. But that's it." Stiles looked at his best friend expectantly. If he supposedly died, you better believe he wanted to know how.

"You collapsed. Your nose was bleeding because of all the time we spent in your mind and I don't know, it effected something. You had a seizure and then-" Stiles eyebrows had gone higher and higher, and he was gesturing for Scott to go on.

"And theeeeen?" He asked annoyingly.

"And then your heart stopped beating."

"Huh. Hardcore. I guess I miss all the good stuff. So how am I alive?"

"My mom gave you CPR for like, four or five minutes until you started breathing again, and your heart started beating. Then the paramedics got there and you were taken here. We've all been here ever since. You were out for like six hours."

"Wait your mom gave me CPR?"

"That's what you got out of all that? Dude you were dead. You weren't breathing. Your heart stopped. But yes- she gave you CPR."

Stiles looked slightly disturbed. Melissa was like a second mom to him, even if it was to save his life, he couldn't help but feel violated that her mouth had been on his. He shivered uncomfortably. Talk about awkward.

"Dude you really freaked us all out. I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks. So am I." Scott smirked as his mom came into the room. Stiles immediately cleared his throat and looked in the direction of the girls as if just casually looking around the room.

"Hey Stiles. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, how are you?"

"Stiles. You had a bit of a big day today, and I'm your nurse. I need to know what is actually going on."

Stiles nodded and looked up. "Well my nose is dry, I have a bit of a headache- but nothing serious." He added as Scott looked at him in worry. "And otherwise I'm just kinda thirsty." He finished. Melissa wrote it down and checked his vitals before getting him some ginger ale.

"Oh and put your oxygen back on- don't think I didn't notice. That's an order" She said. Stiles sighed and slowly put the tube back under his nose while Scott snickered next to him. With her walking around the room, the others began waking up one by one. There was a lot of "Are you okay's" and "How are you feeling" questions as they gathered around his bed.

Malia said an awkward "I'm glad you're okay." And a quick squeeze of his hand before she headed home, and Lydia stood there smiling at him, holding his other hand. He smiled back at her, unable to know that the one smile almost made Lydia burst into tears like some sad damsel in distress. She hated it- but she also knew how long she'd been waiting to see that smile. How long it felt since she'd seen him actually make eye contact with her. He didn't look through her, or have a blank unknowing expression. He was here- and he saw her. She hadn't known quite how much it had affected her until he had. She took a step back and stepped into the hallway. She would not cry again. She only returned when she had gotten herself back under control.

Soon, people started filing out, heading home to sleep and promising they'd be back the next day. When it was only Scott and his dad left, Stiles eyes began to droop, and he was soon asleep.