CHAPTER SEVEN
.Don't lie. Don't pretend to be sorry. [Within Temptation ft. Alex Yarmak – A Fools Parade]
By the time Melissa texted Joan that she had to be on shift for a few hours, Joan was already on her way. She sighed. She knew they were short-staffed at the hospital, but she was bummed that she had to change her plans. She didn't want to interrupt Stiles and Noah's day. She knew how much Noah had missed his son. They needed this. So she went to her favorite coffee shop and ordered a pumpkin spiced latte and a cinnamon roll. She still had a few hours before Melissa could leave work, so she decided to enjoy some alone time.
"Joan?" She looked up to see Natalie Martin. "Hi!"
"Oh, hey", Joan replied, smiling, "what are you doing here?", she wanted to know and gestured for Natalie to sit down. Miss Martin sat down, crossed her legs and took a sip of her coffee.
"They have the best coffee in town", Natalie said laughing, "I've to pick up my daughter from the airport in a few and wanted to get some caffeine into my system first. She's flying in for your wedding. I wanted to thank you for inviting her, though."
"Noah invited her", Joan mumbled, "I don't really know her. Unfortunately, Stiles and she had ended their relationship by the time me and Noah were getting serious. But Noah told me how much he adored her. And she's part of the…"
"Clique." Miss Martin interjected. "My daughter is part of a clique and they have been through hell and back." A shiver ran down her spine. The memories of Lydia being catatonic and in Eichen House still haunted Natalie. She blamed herself. Her daughter had almost died in the asylum. Twice. She would never forget how broken Lydia was after that. She was glad that her daughter had gotten over that trauma. Natalie hasn't.
Joan just sighed. Noah had told her that Natalie Martin had tried to deny the facts. She was aware of the supernatural, but chose to ignore it. Hopefully it would go away. Joan also knew that Noah and Natalie had once dated. Or were about to go on a date, if the Chimera hadn't destroyed it, almost killing Lydia in the process. "You can't dismiss the facts every time, Natalie."
"I don't deny them. I just don't have to acknowledge them every time. I know what's going on in Beacon Hills, and I know how special Lydia is. But I also know how much it has taken away from her," Miss Martin explained, shifting her eyes to the table. "Maybe you don't understand because you haven't been here."
"Maybe." Joan set her cup down, her lips pressed together in a thin line, "but I know the feeling of loss. How much it hurts. How much it defines you until you are able to put it behind you. I know what it feels like to lose your best friend. And your lover. I don't need special abilities to understand pain."
"No one should have to endure as much pain as Lydia." Natalie cut in. "She hasn't felt any pain in years. She hasn't heard whispers or voices. Leaving Beacon Hills was the best decision she ever made."
"Probably. I think everyone in the known should get away from that Hellmouth," Joan chuckled, "but Noah won't leave this town and I understand why. He's the sheriff and he's doing a hell of a job. He can't save everyone, but he tries."
"I know," Natalie smiled, "he's a great guy."
"And mine." Joan replied immediately. Natalie Martin chuckled again and winked at Joan.
"I know. It wouldn't have worked out between Noah and me. Too many obstacles. Especially with our kids being in a relationship. It would have been weird."
A giggle left Joan's lips. "Maybe. But it would've been fun as well. I'm glad that you'll be at my wedding, Natalie. I hope you know that. When I came to town, I didn't know what to expect. I was running away from pain. However, I found peace. And truly amazing people. You introduced me to society here."
"But you got Noah all on your own, when you went into that station on that faithful night, because some stranger smashed your window. He was smitten instantly with you. Everyone saw that. I am happy for the both of you. Melissa is your bridesmaid, isn't she?"
"Yeah. She and Noah have been best friends for years now, raising their sons together. I'm actually about to meet her later. We have a few things to do before the wedding. You can join us, if you want?", Joan suggested, while grabbing her mug again. Natalie said she'd try to join them, but couldn't make any promises. She may spend her day with Lydia, because they haven't seen each other in a while and said goodbye to pick her daughter up from the airport. Joan understood. She would've spent her day with her beloved ones as well, if they weren't gone already.
She sighed. Sometimes she felt lonely. As much as she loved Noah and her life in Beacon Hills, there were times when she felt alone in a room full of people. Or in this case, a crowded coffee shop. She let her eyes wander. She knew a few people, but most of them were busy with themselves or chatting with friends. It was a normal day, although Joan could hear whispers. Two people behind her were discussing recent events. Her ears pricked up.
"Did you hear they found two bodies? Apparently, the sheriff's son found a woman covered in bruises and blood. She died at the scene. It's the second person to die. Another one was brought in yesterday. I was there when they brought her in. It's weird, isn't it?"
"The town is going crazy again? And oddly enough, when Stiles Stilinski comes back? Coincidence?", another person said, and Joan frowned. She didn't like the way they were talking about her stepson.
"That boy should have stayed away."
Joan snapped. She slammed the cup down on the table and turned to face the people talking shit about Stiles. "Or maybe you could mind your own business?"
The young women - Joan was pretty sure she had seen these two at the hospital once or twice, so she assumed they were nurses - looked at Joan wide-eyed. "Let the authorities handle this. It'll shock you, but that's their job. Yours is to try to save them. You work at the hospital, don't you?" Both women nodded, still shocked that anyone would call them out. "Then stop gossiping and start helping people. Okay?"
Joan stood up, grabbed her cup, and drank the rest of her coffee in one gulp. She didn't want to stay here any longer. People were staring at her and she hated the feeling of being in the middle of the event. She set the cup on the counter and grabbed her coat.
Hurriedly she left the coffee shop and took a deep breath. She hated people gossiping about her family. She had heard so many stories about the Stilinski's, McCall's and Argents in the beginning. Horrible stories. Until Noah let her in into the world of werewolves and other stuff and all the gossip was forgotten about.
A shiver went down her spine and she felt like someone was watching her. Joan opened her eyes a little bit but didn't see anyone nearby. However, the goosebumps on her skin were spreading like wildfire. She sensed something.
And it made her anxious. She gulped and tried to calm herself down. Joan started walking down the street, hoping the feeling would go away. She speeded up her steps, almost running now. The feeling didn't go away. The opposite happened. She got cold and breathing became harder. The air around her felt ice cold and she started panicking. Joan stopped running, catching her breath and tried to steady her heart beat. But the cold didn't go away. It became more pressuring, her fingers aching. She looked at them and tried shaking off the feeling of being crushed from the inside.
"Joan?!"
Two hands were on her shoulders and startled her. Stiles was staring at her, worried. "What's going on?"
As soon as his hands were on her shoulder, the coldness faded. Her hands weren't aching anymore. She felt secure. "I don't know", she stuttered, looking over her shoulder. There was nothing. And no pedestrian was bothered. Which made her wonder if everything that has happened a few seconds ago was just in her head. "I… it was so cold. And I felt like somebody was watching me."
Scott – who was standing right besides Stiles – eyes went wide. "And you felt like you were having a panic attack?", he asked and Joan nodded slowly.
"What does it mean?", Joan quietly asked and Stiles sighed.
"I don't know. Hey, what's that on your wrist?", he asked, pulling up her sleeve. "Where did you get that?"
Red stripes were on her skin. Like somebody had handcuffed her. With rope lazed in wolfsbane.
"I don't know. That wasn't there before. What is happening with me?"
Neither Scott nor Stiles had an answer.
Talking to Satomi didn't help. She had no idea what was going on in Beacon Hills. She had never heard of anything involving mistletoe and runes. She had no idea what they were up against. Stiles was annoyed. He had been looking forward to Father-Son Day, but when the woman died in front of him, Noah and Stiles decided to put it aside. Especially after Melissa told them that this wasn't the first victim. Stiles knew this was just the beginning. What irritated him was, that Joan had been attacked. And her reaction was similar to Scott's. Stiles knew that she had never died before or had any darkness in her heart. Which made him wonder what the pattern might be.
Finding Joan panicking in the street was something Stiles never wanted to see again. He called his father, led Joan to the Jeep, and drove to the police station where Noah would be. Scott had gone with them. It just felt right not to leave their side.
"You really have no idea how you got those bruises?" Stiles asked Joan, keeping his eyes on the road. This day was getting annoyingly long and not going as planned. It was only 2p.m. and it felt like an eternity.
"No." Joan answered, her fingers tracing the marks on her wrist, "no idea. I talked to Natalie at the coffee shop and then went to meet Melissa… After I scolded two nurses for talking shit about my family."
"Huh", Stiles said, furrowing his brows, "they didn't touch you?"
"No. I didn't even give them a chance to answer. I left immediately. After I left the coffee shop, I felt a presence. And ran. The rest you know", she explained, trying to hide her fear. She was scared but she didn't want them to know. She was an adult. A grown woman. She could of herself. She had to.
Stiles pressed his lips together, trying to make sense of the situation. In all his time with the Special Forces, he had never encountered anything like this. He had seen and learned so much. But he never came across runes, mistletoe and bruises out of nowhere. "I don't like this", he finally said, as he pulled into parking lot of the police station. "I have to make some calls."
"I can take her inside?" Scott suggested, smiling at Joan, who was still shaking. Stiles nodded, throwing Scott a thankful glance. "I tell your dad you'll be in in a minute."
"Thanks, Scott." Stiles said.
Joan got out of the car, as did Scott, and Stiles watched them enter the station. When he was sure they were inside, he took his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it. He didn't want to make that call. Calling them would set things off. Knowing the hunters was a dangerous thing. He weighed his options. He could also call someone else. He opened his contacts and scrolled through them, stopping when he saw the name he was looking for. Sighing, he clicked on the contact, debating whether this was the right idea or not.
The image of Joan shaking flared up in his mind again gave him the final push, so he hit CALL.
Seeing her in a panic attack, clearly caused by a supernatural influence... He couldn't ignore it. "Hi", he heard Argent say, "I'm a little busy right now."
"I know. I know you're in Kansas." Stiles interrupted him, "and I need you to ask them about witchcraft. Runes and Mistletoe. I'm pretty sure Melissa already sent you the pictures."
"How did you cross paths with them?", replied Argent, surprise in his voice, "they are not really on good terms with the FBI."
"And they clearly do not like nosy people like me. First time I crossed paths with them, I was being kicked to the ground." Stiles closed his eyes and sighed, "However, we have an understanding though."
"Do I wanna know?", Chris sighed, "actually, don't answer that. Melissa has sent me the pictures. I haven't had time yet. We're facing some… difficulties."
"Demonic difficulties?", Stiles asked, "it's always Demons with these two."
"Actually, angelic ones this time. If it's not Demons, it's Angels. Apparently, their pet angel went missing and they called for help."
"Huh, didn't see that one coming. However, I need you to talk to them immediately. They owe me. And things are getting weird around here."
"Stiles, you've been back less than a day? What is going on?"
Stiles laughed sardonically. "I don't know. This is why I need some input. Please, just ask them, ok? They have my number and my mail address."
Argent just gave Stiles the promise to ask and ended the call. Stiles let his head fall onto the steering wheel. Argent was right. He was here for less than a day and everything was crashing down on him. It fed the darkness around his heart and it got harder to ignore the pressure. This day was tiring him out. Talking with his father and Derek was emotionally exhausting but facing some force nobody knew anything about was terrifying him. He didn't like not knowing about the danger. He had to figure this out somehow.
He was deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice someone approaching the jeep. A knock on the window startled him and he lifted his head. When his eyes met hers, he held his breath.
"Lydia?"
They hadn't seen each other for years. They hadn't talked. The last time he had seen her was the night before she left. He swallowed, not knowing how to react. All the pain he had tried to push away came back, crushing him. His hands shook, his breathing became shallow, and he felt the panic attack rising inside of him. He took his eyes off her and stared at the wheel. He heard her knocking on the window again and it made him angry. Anger was better than panic, so he decided to give in. He opened the door angrily after unbuckling his seatbelt and slamming it shut. "What are you doing here?", he asked, his voice shaking slightly.
"I'm here for the wedding", she answered.
"I meant what are you doing at the station", Stiles replied, "as far as I know, the way from the airport to your mother's house does not go through here."
"I… I was just… I…", she started to stutter and Stiles rolled his eyes.
"I what, Lydia? And why for the love of good did you come up to the Jeep? You left."
"I know", the banshee replied, her voice wavering, "I had to."
"YOU HAD TO?!" Stiles yelled and Lydia backed away a little, "YOU HAD TO LEAVE? WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION? AND NOW YOU THINK IT'S OKAY TO JUST WALK UP AT MY JEEP? LIKE I WOULD BE HAPPY ABOUT IT?"
Lydia winced. "Stiles…"
"Don't." Stiles interjected, "just don't. I know that my dad invited you but I thought you had the decency to not show up, y'know? I mean, I didn't mean anything to you, you just left me. Why would you even bother to show up for my father's wedding?"
"You're being unfair, Stiles", she answered, her voice getting louder while she went on: "Don't you dare insult our relationship like that."
"I… Are you kidding me? You were the one insulting it by throwing it away!", he countered, "don't blame me for your actions."
"Can we talk about it in piece and quiet?", she asked him, reaching for his hand. Stiles immediately backed away a little, his back pressed against his jeep. Lydia let her hand fall down, her gaze on the ground. "I know that I owe you an explanation. And I have one. I… just let me explain?"
"You should've explained it before you left. We're over. We're done. I'm done." Stiles grumbled, "don't pretend to be sorry for something you did years ago, with clearly no intention to explain."
Lydia looked at him again: "Maybe you're right. I should've explained it. But I didn't. That's my fault. But I want to make it right. I want to…"
"It doesn't matter what you want, Lydia. You can't always get what you want. I learned that the hard way. And right now, I don't have time for this", Stiles said, his anger slowly fading away. He could see in her eyes that she was hurting as much as he was. And the sadistic part in him enjoyed it. He hated it.
"Scott told me", Lydia said, "that's actually why I'm here, to be honest. I just saw the jeep and… you."
Stiles pressed his lips together, his chaw clenching. He always had wondered how it would be to meet her again. Part of him always wondered why she left, while the other part was telling him to let it go. Seeing her, in the middle of the parking lot, was not on his bingo card.
"Sorry to interrupt your… grrrr…", a voice chimed in, breaking Stiles out of his thoughts again. He looked at Melissa, who had approached them, "but your father wants to see you. Something came up. Hi Lydia, by the way." Melissa smiled at her and Lydia was smiling too.
"Hi, Mrs. McCall", the strawberry-blond answered, "nice seeing you again."
"Likewise," Melissa chuckled, while she was pulling Lydia into a small hug, "but as said, your dad wants to see you, Stiles. He's waiting inside. There's a young girl wanting to talk to you. She's inside. And she wants to talk to you, specifically."
"Me?" Stiles said irritated, "why me?"
"I don't know. But she asked for you. And only you. Her name is Claire Novak", Melissa explained and Stiles eyes went wide.
What the hell was Claire doing in Beacon Hills?
Guess chaos is about to come.
