**So begins the drama...**

SONG: Got so much to lose…Got so much to prove…God, don't let me lose my mind…Trouble on my left, trouble on my right…I been facing trouble almost all my life ~ Trouble by Cage the Elephant

Chapter 15

Stiles:

It's the day before the last day of Winter break.

We had all come to the lake house to ring in the New Year. Well actually we had come because it was also a full moon. It went well. Malia felt more in control, Liam still had minor issues, but he was doing okay. Liam's dad came and picked up him and Mason the next day after it was over. He was fine with them being here for the full moon but spending extra days away from home with a group of teens was not something he was willing to bend on. Not at their age.

So it was just Isaac, Allison, Scott, Lydia, Malia and I. we were at the end of a Marvel movie marathon. There was no TV up here so I got one of those mini projectors that you could hook your phone up to and we strung a white sheet across one way as a make shift movie screen. It worked pretty well.

The ending credits of Thor started rolling and I think we were all ready to call it a night. not that we were tired, it was only 9:30 pm. But I don't think any of us wanted to spend our last night of parental freedom watching movies all night. Proving my point, Isaac got up and tossed a giggling Allison over his shoulder.

"Its been fun, but I think we are gonna call it a night." he said, racing up the stairs.

"They spend way too much time together." Scott sighed, getting up from his perch in an armchair, lifting a sleeping Lydia with him. "See you guys in the morning." He called as they made their exit to the room down the hall.

Looking down at the girl in my arms I found her staring off into space, absently playing with my hand. I grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. She looked up at me and smiled.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked. She shrugged and turned over, so she was facing me, laying in her favorite position.

"Nothing really. Just about how much I'm going to miss it up here. The solitude and privacy. Being able to sleep next to you every night."

"Me too. I'm gonna miss being the big spoon and then waking up to find that I'm the little spoon." I smirked.

"I can't help it. Sometimes I want to be the big spoon." She laughed.

"I'm not complaining. I think its sweet."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. I love that you want to hold me sometimes. Its nice. Just because I'm a guy doesn't mean that I have to always be the one doing the holding."

"TV has it all wrong then. They always show that the guy does all the cuddling."

"Yeah, they do. Sometimes a man just wants to be held as well. feel free to do that any time."

"Right now?" she asked.

"Sure. you don't want to watch another movie or anything?"

"No. its our last night before we have to go back home. I just want to be with you."

Kissing her sweetly, I moved us both to standing, took her hand and went upstairs to our room. Thanking every deity ever that ours was right by the stairs, and Isaac and Allison's was the last door at the other end. It helped minimize the sounds, well for me at least. I saw Malia flinch out of my peripheral.

Pulling her into the room I closed the door behind me and pulled her against me. my hands cupped her face as her lips met mine in a soft slow kiss that could easily turn to more, but she stopped, pulling away. Looking at me she bit her bottom lip.

"What's wrong?" I asked concerned about the look of trepidation on her face.

"I… don't know. I just got this weird feeling."

"Okay, what kind of weird feeling?"

"I'm not sure." she said, pulling away completely and going to the window that looked at nothing in particular, only trees. She looked out as if searching for something.

"Malia." I walked up behind her, wrapping my arms around her, she relaxed minimally but still looked.

"Maybe I'm just being paranoid or something. I just had this weird feeling like… I don't know. I can't explain it."

"Okay, did you want to go outside and look for a bit?" I asked.

"No." She sighed shaking her heading leaning back against me."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, can we just cuddle. I don't think I'm in the mood now. Is that okay?"

"Of course." I said kissing the side of her head. "Come on."

Pulling her away from the window, we both changed and climbed into bed. Knowing what she wanted I turned around and pulled her arms around me.

"Better?" I asked. She purred contently.

"Yes. Much. Thank you."

JAMJAMJAM

Packing up the car the next morning was met with sighs all around. We were all sad to be heading back to the real world, bursting our little bubble of solitude. School begins again tomorrow and none of us are looking forward to it. Still, it was nice to get away and just be. Everyone giving their partners a kiss we piled into two separate vehicles. Girls in Allison's and guys in mine. The girls wanted to have one last spa day before school began so Isaac, Scott and I decided we would just hang at Scott's place.

"So…" Scott said about 15 minutes into our drive, and I tensed.

"Why do I suddenly feel a sense of doom?" I muttered.

"Don't be so dramatic, Stiles. This is just… forewarning."

"Yeah, that doesn't make it sound any better." Isaac said from the back seat.

"I know. Sorry. Look, Lydia got another feeling followed by a… premonition."

"And I take it this wasn't a warm and fuzzy, everything is rainbows and sunshine kind premonition or feeling." I said filled with false hope.

"Unfortunately, not. This one was of you… and Malia."

"What?" I looked over at him and he grimaced. "What about me and Malia?"

"Just that something… not good is coming this way and it pertains to you two. She doesn't know what it is just that usual feeling of dread, but not death. The premonition though its kind of twofold. There's one showing Malia in trouble and another showing you in trouble and someone gets hurt but she's not sure who. she thinks it's kind of a one or the other deal. Like it will be either her or you but not both."

"Does this have to do with Kate?" Isaac asked.

"I don't know. she doesn't either. She couldn't see what the trouble was just that there would be."

"Paranoia." I whispered mostly to myself.

"What?" Scott asked. Sighing I began tapping my fingers on the wheel.

"Last night Malia had a strange feeling and she kept looking out the window like she was looking for something, but she wasn't sure what. She brushed it off as paranoia, but now I'm not so sure."

"Are you going to tell her about this?" Isaac asked.

"I kind of have too. we already had one fight about hiding stuff from each other in order to protect them. I'm not keen on repeating that. Besides if both her and Lydia are having feelings about something coming then I would rather her be prepared just in case."

"We'll all be on the lookout. right now, it's just a caution."

'Yeah, thanks, man." Chuckling I shook my head. "Do you ever miss the days where our biggest worry was hoping to make first line?"

Scott laughed and even Isaac snickered.

"Yes and no. if that was still our biggest worry then none of us would have any of them." He said pointing to us and then to the car ahead of us.

"True." Isaac and I said in unison.

Malia:

I waved bye to Lydia and Allison as they dropped me back home after we left the spa. I sighed, happy to be home because I missed my dad, but sad that my alone time with Stiles and our friends was over.

The door opened as soon as I stepped on the porch. My dad was standing there smiling, arms open. I smiled back and hugged him tight.

"Hey honey, how was your trip?"

"It was great. We did a movie marathon of superheroes, Stiles idea and then we watched the guys freeze their butts off attempting to camp in January in the woods, near the lake." I snorted. It was mostly true. What I didn't say was they only last a few hours before deciding that camping wasn't for them or, more so, that sleeping alone when there are three willing bed partners just feet way wasn't their thing.

"I could have warned them. This may be California but its still winter." He joked. "I'm glad you had fun but I'm glad your home."

"Me too. I'm going to go put my stuff away and then maybe we can order dinner, unless you cooked, because you know I can't."

"I'll place an order, Chinese sound good?"

"Yeah, sweet and sour chicken please." I called back to him as I made my way to my room.

Opening my door, I immediately zeroed in on a package on my bed, it was small, about half the size of a bread box and there was a card taped to the top of it.

"Hey dad?" I yelled.

"Yeah?"

"What's this package about?" I asked setting my stuff down and picking it up, turning it over and looking at the envelope. There was no address on it just my name written in pretty script.

"Oh, that was left on the doorstep this morning. I just figured one of your school friends dropped it off or something." He said from the doorway.

"Huh… okay." I said.

"Food some be here in 30 mins. You have time to freshen up."

"Okay, thanks." I said sitting on the bed and still examining it. the only friends I have I was just with the last week. If they had something to give me, they would have while we were together.

I felt uneasy as I plucked the envelope off the top and set it aside and then ripped through the brown wrapping to find a pink gift box. Shaking it gentle I heard a tinkling sound. Removing the top, I saw a rose gold rattle with my name printed on it. I froze, suddenly feeling ice cold as I took it out and examined it. the other side had my birthdate on it. setting it down I picked up the envelope and tore it open pulling out a glossy white postcard with a picture of a baby girl being held in small hands. Turning it over my breath caught in fear.

Mommy will see you soon baby girl.

JAMJAMJAM

It was 10 pm when I was able to sneak out of my window and into Stiles. He was lounging in bed reading a book but smiled and put it down as I climbed into the room.

"Hey, I thought this might happen."

"Did you?"

"Well, we just spent a week sleeping next to each other and its kind of become a habit now. So, I figured that we would have a hard time breaking it."

"Is your dad here?"

"Sleep. He has an early start tomorrow. Come here." He said pulling me towards him. I kicked off my shoes and climbed on the bed, laying on top of him, which as become my favorite way to sleep, well unless I'm cuddling him.

"I already set my alarm for 6 am so you can rush back home to get ready." He said squeezing me.

"You thought of everything." I snickered.

"I tried." He snickered, cutting off the lights throwing us into complete darkness except for a sliver of the moon shining through the window.

"Is it bad that I missed you, even though I just saw you a few hours ago?" I mumbled against his neck, breathing in the scent of soap and Stiles.

"No, I felt the same way." He chuckled.

"Good, now sleep since we have to be up at 6." I said snuggling in further.

"Uh, before we go to sleep, I have to tell you something." He said, nervously.

"No, why does that sound like bad news. I don't want bad news. I'm still on my vacation high." I whined.

"I know but I promised I wouldn't keep things from you so…"

"Okay. What is it?"

Stiles told me what he heard from Scott about Lydia's premonition and feeling. I tried not to tense up as I listened. But the rattle and postcard came to mind, and I clutched Stiles tighter.

"That doesn't sound good." I whispered.

"I know. but we are all just going to be on the lookout for anything and everything. Not much else we can do until we know more."

"But knowing more would mean that its not so much a maybe it will, maybe it won't, but a, it definitely will kind of thing, right?"

"Yeah." He sighed. "We'll just be careful, and we'll stick together. Its what we have always done, and it seems to have worked out. I'm going to try not to worry, and I don't want you to, either, okay?"

"Yeah… okay."