Just as a reminder to all those reading: When the text is written in bold and italicized lettering "like this," that is the part of the conversation in sign language.

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Wolf. I also have no claim on any pop culture references I may use throughout my writings. I only own my OCs. Enjoy the read.

(o.o)

Chapter 2.13

Dad made breakfast for us on Sunday morning, and he couldn't get me out of bed until almost noon. I expected it to be a sit-down affair because I hadn't done anything the day before. I had laid in bed with my phone in my hand, drifting in and out of sleep. I used the excuse of far too little sleep throughout the week to stay there. Really, I felt like I needed information on Stiles to function.

I wanted him back and probably would have done anything to get it.

Derek came to visit me, only to tell me that he hadn't found any scent the night Stiles disappeared. I barely paid him any mind.

As I sat at the kitchen table, picking at the pancakes I didn't want, I leaned my head on my fist with an elbow on the table. I could barely focus on anything, and I wasn't hungry.

Dad waved his hand to get my attention from across the table.

I glanced up at him, lifting my head slightly.

"You're not hungry?" He asked, signing with one hand.

I shook my head, pretending not to see the giant sigh that came with my father's shoulders rising and falling.

"You haven't eaten in a couple of days."

"I had a bowl of cereal yesterday."

"And that's all, I'm sure. You need actual food."

With an internal eye roll, I took a large forkful of the scrambled eggs from my plate and stuffed it in my mouth. It wasn't appetizing, and I almost spit it back out. I resisted, though, knowing that it wouldn't help my case. The last thing I needed was for Dad to think I was going through another scene, like after Carter died.

"Is there any word on Stiles?"

I shook my head. "Nothing since the text the sheriff got. Of course, Stiles texting not to look for him didn't stop the search."

"It shouldn't. I wouldn't stop."

A lump filled in my throat at the thought. I nodded my head. "I know."

"You shouldn't stop either."

"What do you mean?" I questioned, confused by the thought.

"I know that you have to figure this out however you need to. You should feel these emotions like you have to. But you should be following the sheriff's lead. Don't stop looking for him."

"But what can I do?" I scoffed. "It's not like I can go running through the forest, calling his name and waiting for a response. I can't hear him, Dad."

"But you can feel him, can't you?"

I stopped trying to argue, furrowing my brow. "What do you mean?"

Dad nodded, probably realizing I hadn't figured out as much of my power as I could have. "Take a beat. Close your eyes and think about him on a personal level. Your gut will tell you whether or not he's still alive. Maybe you'll be able to find him in your own way."

He was right. Gosh, how could I have been so stupid? Sitting at our kitchen table was not where I needed to be to figure out Stiles. Without another word to him, I left the table and rushed upstairs to shower.

After I was clean and dressed, I got in my car and started driving. I wasn't exactly sure where I was going, but I knew that being home wasn't good enough for me. Soon, I knew exactly where the car was headed and found myself parking and getting out. My heart stopped when I first caught sight of the bench. Stiles and I had part of our first date there. We had our first kiss standing right in front of it.

I approached, taking in my surroundings. It was still early in the afternoon, but there were kids everywhere. I looked around at the people, doing precisely what Stiles said he'd done with his mom. I created stories about the people who passed by, trying to feel and connect with him.

There were lawyers on their cellphones, trying to get that little bit of sunshine before heading back into the courtroom. Mothers whose children were playing on the playground equipment while she did her best to take a moment for herself. A couple on their first date. Were any of these people also missing someone who didn't want to be found?

I took a deep breath of chill air, closed my eyes, and found Stiles. My hands gripped the edge of the bench, solidifying my stance. He was alive. That much I could tell, but was he okay? Something felt off, my heart felt dark, and the ever-present chill ran down my spine.

I felt a shiver on my shoulder and turned my head, eyes still closed to see behind me in the dark vision. It was him. "Stiles?" I called.

Stiles was trying to speak to me. Fervently, like when we first met. He was too fast and animated. He looked terrified.

"Slow down. I can't -" I shook my head, reaching for his hands. As soon as my hands came close to his grasp, he slipped away. I gasped and opened my eyes. Stumbling, I came out of the vision. I wasn't sitting on the bench anymore. I stood in the grass in front of it on the other side of the sidewalk.

What the hell just happened? I turned in my spot, finding a couple of people looking my way. Just what I needed: an audience while I figured out how to use my omen powers. Heat rose to my face, and I quickly went to sit back on the bench.

Again, I gripped the edge of the wooden seat, hoping not to go walking around this time. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, feeling my connection with Stiles and trying to find him again.

The frustration came quickly when I could stay focused long enough. I was too worried that I'd get up and walk around again. It felt like I was sleepwalking, not realizing I was. I groaned. It wasn't going to work again. At least not right then; I was trying too hard. It was something that should come naturally. Or at least, that's how it felt it should be. I still had no idea how anything worked.

Still, the little glimpse of Stiles gave me the hope I needed, and my stomach growled. I was hungry after not eating for a few days. Food was a necessity. I got up from the bench and drove to Stiles and my favorite Chinese restaurant. I placed an order and hurried off to the Sheriff's Station. The large brown bag was full of different takeout boxes, and I knew of two people in the building who might require some nourishment.

I carried the bag straight through the front door, ignoring the look that the officer at the front desk was giving me. She had seen me enough times to know who I was, where I was going, and that I was welcome there.

I spotted my first stop, pausing beside Deputy Parrish's desk. I passed him a smile and pulled out a box for him, setting it on his desk.

Parrish looked at the box and then at me, a confused look plastered on his face. "Hi, CJ. What's this?"

"I wanted to thank you for driving me around the other night. I figured lunch couldn't hurt." I reached into the bag again, pulling out a wrapped eggroll and a set of chopsticks. "You been here all night?" I asked, handing him the new items.

Parrish nodded, taking the chopsticks and eggroll. "Still no word."

I offered him a disappointed but appreciative smile. "Thanks. Is the sheriff in his office?"

Parrish looked to the closed door behind him and nodded.

I gave him another smile as I left his desk, knowing it wouldn't be enough to show my gratitude. I held the brown paper bag in one hand and knocked on the sheriff's door several times before opening it.

The man behind the desk looked just as confused as Parrishy that I'd invited myself to the station.

I approached the desk, setting the bag down on the corner of it. "I brought lunch," I said before pulling out food for him and me.

Sheriff shook his head, softly grabbing my hand for my attention. "You didn't have to."

"I did. I haven't eaten in days," I said honestly. "I assumed you were much the same, so…" I trailed off, nodding. "I also talked with my dad, who made me realize that if the situation were reversed, Stiles wouldn't stop looking for me. Even if I didn't want to be found, he wouldn't care. So, instead of feeling sorry for myself, willing him to come back, maybe there was still some searching to be done."

Sheriff offered me an understanding smile.

"Besides, if I had another day of staring at the paint on my walls, a trip to the hardware store for a different color would have been necessary."

The sheriff chuckled.

I finished unpacking the food before sitting in a chair across from his desk. "I brought some for Parrish, too, if it makes you feel better."

"I told him to go home hours ago."

"I'm sure you did." I unwrapped my eggroll, taking a bite. I finished chewing before speaking again. "I like him. He's new, right?"

Sheriff nodded. "He's a good kid." He looked over at the food he hadn't touched yet, finally realizing how hungry he was.

I reached back into the bag, pulling out the last sets of chopsticks and handing one to him.

Sheriff grinned and grabbed the utensils. "Kinda like you."

(o.o)

I spent the whole day in the Sheriff's Station, brainstorming with the sheriff on where Stiles might be. I noticed, too, that there were a few words that the man was beginning to sign for me after I used them. It was a fantastic gesture I wasn't sure I'd ever expected.

I also realized that one thing about Stiles we had to clear up was whether or not he was really sick. The scans he'd had done the night he disappeared showed traces of frontotemporal dementia, the disease his mother died from. Still, we weren't sure, and I certainly didn't want to believe it.

I know Scott was still wary of whether or not we would tell the sheriff that there might be an evil spirit inside of Stiles, but I didn't want to be the one to break that news to him on my own. Instead, I promised him I'd have my dad reach out to the neurologist who helped me after losing my hearing. I remember him being one of the first few who were patient with me while running tests to figure out what went wrong. If we could bring him Stiles' scans, maybe there was something he could help us derive from them.

Even after that, I wasn't ready for school the next day, especially not without Stiles. He still hadn't been found and hadn't come home. Lydia picked me up for the day, offering so that I didn't feel too alone driving by myself. It was a nice sentiment, seeing as three wasn't much else she could do. We drove in silence most of the way and were both okay with that. Things were too weird, and we didn't really know what to say to one another.

I trudge through the school day with no word from Stiles. I hoped that the sheriff would have been courteous enough to text me if there were any developments. But why would he, really? The man had more important things to take care of.

As Lydia and I walked towards our last class, I furrowed my brow, spotting Peter Hale talking with Aunt Natalie, Lydia's mom. "What the hell?" I said out loud.

Lydia turned to me sharply. "You see him, too, right?"

I nodded at her, curious as to why she was asking.

"Shit."

"I'll see about him. You talk to your mom. See what he wanted and make sure she's okay. I'll meet you in a few." Without hearing a response, I rushed forward, pushing through the people in my way. As I turned down the hall, I noticed him leaving the building, so I walked faster. "Hey, asshole!" I shouted for him once I was outside.

He stopped on the sidewalk. Peter turned around with a dramatic flair, allowing me to catch up with him. "Yes, Princess?"

"You need to leave my family alone."

"Your family?" He asked with a furrowed brow.

"I might not like Natalie, but that doesn't give you the right. Leave her alone." I stressed again.

Peter raised a brow. "That's right. Lydia's your cousin."

"And I know you bit her and left her for dead while you were doing your time as a crazy psychopath." I reminded. "So stay away from her."

"I'm only trying to help."

"The funny thing about that is you only help others when it benefits you. So what exactly do you think you're doing?" I narrowed my eyes on him. "What are you after?"

"Just helping the Banshee discover her real power." He paused, smirking. "Would you like me to do the same with you?"

I couldn't lie and say I didn't consider it. Peter might actually be able to help me. He knew my brother; it would surprise me if he knew what Carter could do. They were all friends back in the day. I quickly realized I knew better though. Peter's nose found itself in places it didn't belong. He could have found out without being told. I took a step away from him, instantly losing interest in his offer.

"I don't need your help. And neither does Lydia." I stood my ground, ensuring he heard me when I spoke. "Stay away from her!" Without listening to whatever snarky comeback Peter had, I turned around, going back inside the school. I debated briefly on whether or not I should just leave. Focusing on anything all day was nearly impossible, and running into Peter didn't exactly calm my nerves.

I went towards my next class, wanting to fill Lydia in, but she wasn't there. Where the hell had she gone? I left the main building again, going towards where Lydia parked her car that morning, but that was gone, too.

"What the hell?" I asked aloud, pulling out my phone to text her. I stopped, spotting Mr. Yukimura running away from the school's entrance. Other students were running away from a bus they had boarded.

I grabbed one of the smaller kids, stopping his escape. "What's going on?"

The kid looked up at me with a terrified look in his eye. "There's a bomb on the bus."

I let him go as William Barrow came quickly to mind. All the research Stiles and I had done about the man. My breath stopped. The shrapnel bomb he made killed students on a school bus. "Shit." I cursed. I held up my phone again, trying to video call Scott, but he didn't pick up. It was the worst time to realize I hadn't seen Scott almost all day. I quickly sent him a text message, hoping he would answer my call.

I felt a hand on my back, chills prickling the back of my neck. I jumped at the contact and turned around to see Stiles. A quick sigh of relief. "Holy shit." Instantly I jumped, throwing my arms around his neck into a hug.

Stiles's arms were tight around my waist, and I could feel his mouth moving against my jaw, but obviously could not hear anything.

I pulled away. "Where the hell have you been?" I asked, glancing behind him, seeing Scott and the twins. "There's a bomb on the bus."

"We know. The wrapping paper was still in the back of my Jeep."

"So, you think you did this?"

"If I did, it wasn't actually me. I don't know where I've been the past two days."

I looked down at Stiles' hands, shaking almost violently. I lifted my hand to grab for them, but Stiles shook his head, pulling them away and out of reach. I looked up at him, dejected, and searched his face for the real problem.

Scott took a step toward us, probably sensing my confusion. "I'm sure everything's gonna be okay." He gestured back to the bus where Stiles' dad and Deputy Parrish had walked to stand in front of it.

I furrowed my brow, noticing the bomb gear the deputy was wearing. "Is he qualified to do that?" I asked, taking a step towards the bus. Another deputy quickly came up, insisting I step back in line at a safe distance. I complied and looked up at Stiles.

Stiles shrugged, his face unsettled. "I think Dad said he was in the Army."

I looked back at the bus; anxiety riddled through my body. It couldn't have been my powers, though; I felt heat instead of the icy cold I would normally get. The heat turned cold when a hand touched my back.

Stiles was grabbing my attention again, but I still felt jolted by him pulling away. I understood why he was being distant, but it hadn't helped my nerves. Even though I was happy to have him back, was it really him?

The sheriff gripped the radio on his shoulder.

I turned to Scott. "What's happening?"

Scott paused, paying attention with his ear turned towards the bus so he could hear what was going on. "It's not a bomb."

Another sigh of relief, and my attention went back to the bus.

Parrish was walking to the front, something in his hand. He placed whatever it was flush against the glass. I furrowed my brow. "It - it's the sheriff's nameplate." I looked up at Stiles next to me. "From the station."

Stiles shook his head despondently. "We gotta go now." He said, patting Scott and me on our shoulders. "We gotta go right now." He took off through the crowd, Scott and I jogging to keep up with him.

I sat in the back of the Jeep on the drive, and when we'd arrived at the station, the bomb had already gone off. It had taken out nearly the whole bullpen. Inside, right in front of the door, Derek sat on the holding bench. I rushed to his side, separating myself from Stiles and Scott. "Derek?" I questioned, placing a hand under his chin to lift his head. He was conscious, at least.

"CJ?" Derek asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Stiles, he-" I stopped, noticing what was wrong with his back. The bomb had gone off in the room behind where he was sitting, and glass shattered into his back.

Behind me was Argent, pushing forward and helping me keep Derek upright. "You saved my life."

"We have to go. They can't see you like this." I insisted, knowing that if he were caught and then magically healed, there would be too many questions.

Derek shook his head. "We were arrested. If we leave, it'll make things worse."

"Arrested?" I turned back, spotting Scott and Stiles on the floor, hovering over a dying deputy. I nodded, turning my head back to Argent. "Where are the cells? Away from the blast sight?"

Argent nodded, "The other side of the building."

"Can you help me get him there? We have to get this glass out so he can heal."

Scott came up to me, shaking with blood on his hands. "We have to go. Kira said the Oni are coming."

I looked from Scott to Derek. "But-"

"Go," Derek demanded. "Protect Stiles."

How could I leave Derek? My brother. How was I supposed to leave him with Argent, a man who was a werewolf hunter not too long ago?

Derek grabbed my arm. "I'm okay," he signed. "Go help them."

I turned my attention to Argent. "I am trusting you to help him."

Argent nodded. "And I will."

I took a deep breath, trying to force myself away from them. When I finally convinced myself to go, I hurried out of the building, jumping into the Jeep's backseat with Kira. I sat behind Stiles, putting a hand on his shoulder for support. "Go." I let out a shaky breath. "What's the plan?" I asked, looking toward Scott in the passenger seat. "How are we supposed to defend ourselves from what are literally supernatural ghosts?"

"That animal clinic, right?" Kira reminded Scott. "You said that earlier."

"Yeah, the place is lined with mountain ash." Scott shared, panicked. "Just like my house. It'll buy us some time."

"But they can get through it?" Stiles questioned.

"Eventually."

"If they can get through it, is that really our best option?" You two might be able to defend yourselves, but-" I stopped, looking at Stiles. "We're practically useless."

Stiles glanced past me to look at his best friend and nodded. "Okay, sure. Animal clinic." We decided where we were headed, so Stiles pressed his foot down on the gas pedal. The rain outside made me think of the accident Stiles and I got in while trying to save everyone's parents. I sat back in the seat, putting my hands under my thighs to keep them from shaking.

Scott glanced back at me with a furrowed brow.

I shook my head, knowing he could sense my panic, but begging him not to make a big deal of it. The rain was pouring down when we arrived at the clinic. We all pushed out of the Jeep and headed towards the back entrance. A shiver sent down my spine, and I turned around. Out of the darkness, the Oni appeared. "Scott! The keys!" I shouted at him over the rain.

Scott's eyes saw the Oni and turned to Stiles and me. "Stiles! Get inside!" He said, throwing the keys in our direction.

Stiles caught them easily before throwing himself at the door, attempting to open it.

"Stiles, c'mon. They're getting closer."

He put a hand out, trying to calm me so he could focus on the keys. Stiles knew he had to get inside, but his hands were still shaking. Finally, the handle turned, and the door opened.

I rushed inside, but Stiles paused, glancing out the door, shouting, and waiting for the others to come inside. I looked around, going towards the storage closet. We had to find the mountain ash and close the boundary. "Stiles!" I shouted for him. "Where's the ash?!" I turned around, finding Stiles far too close to me. I took a step back, meeting his eyes, but I saw darkness behind them. "No."

The corner of the Nogistune's mouth turned up in an evil smirk, and he nodded. "Yeah," he said. He raised his arm back and swung it at my head, making everything go black.