The Hale Pack

by Missmusiclover573

What if Scott and Stiles hadn't separated that night in the woods? What if both boys had been bitten? Would things have played out differently? Or end in the same amount of loss and pain? *Eventual Sterek*

33. Riddles and Chaos

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Wolf or any of its characters. If I did, Sterek would be canon.

A/N: The search for Stiles ends.

The Hale Pack: Riddles and Chaos

Scott and Lydia shared another look of concern before they both moved to finish filling in the carvings.

Jake Reyes had just left the gas station on his way home from work, he was driving past the power station when he saw him: Stiles.

A smile broke out on the man's face as he drove closer to the teen and began to pull up next to him.

'Stiles' startled as the car grew closer, he began to back away with a fearful expression on his face until Jake rolled down the window.

"Stiles, hey," The man greeted gently as the car came to a stop, "Are you okay?"

"Mr. Reyes?" 'Stiles' asked cautiously, he squinted at the vehicle and slowly stepped closer.

"Yeah kid, where have you been? Your dad has been worried sick about you." Jake told the teen gently. He watched Stiles' expressions carefully and took note of the guilt and concern he saw there.

"I-I don't- I just- I don't know, I-" Stiles stammered as tears pooled in his eyes. "I was- I was at the school, I was with- I was with Scott and we- I thought we- but he said and I- I just-"

"Hey, hey, kiddo, calm down," Jake reassured the boy as best he could. He didn't know whether he should get out of the car or not. Hayley was the best at comforting people, Jake offered comic relief and offered to beat people up, despite having never been in a fight once in his life. "Why don't you get in the car? I'll take you to your dad and we'll figure all of this out. Okay?"

"O-okay," Stiles agreed shakily as he began to walk around the car towards the passenger side.

"Okay," Jake sighed in relief. He considered letting the others know, but he had read the texts about Scott finding Stiles earlier only for Stiles to freak out and run off when Derek called and decided against it.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Danny, Lydia, and Scott returned to the hale house to find the majority of the pack there already, and Chris was telling them all about the Nogitsune.

Lydia and Danny made their way to the couch while Allison and Isaac immediately flocked to their mate and silently apologised for being unable to stop Chris from telling the others without tipping him off. Scott just smiled reassuringly and sent them a look to say it wasn't him they should worry about. Derek was the one who wanted to keep it a secret. The trio then joined the others on the couch to listen to information they already knew.

Not everyone was there. Kira had been dropped off at home by eleven, as ordered, and Boyd had gone to work. Melissa and John were both working overnight, and Derek was still out searching for Stiles.

So it was Victoria, Henry, Hayley (Erica's mum), Riachard and Sheila (Boyd's parents), and Peter out of the adults, and the teens present were Scott, Allison, Isaac, Malia, Cora, Erica, Ethan, Aidan, Danny, Lydia, and Jackson.

As soon as Chris finished explaining, the questions began.

"So, they're only here to kill this Nogitsune then they'll leave?" Henry asked for confirmation. His head was still stuck on 'dementia' not 'possession' even with the introduction of the Nogitsune, so he didn't suspect for a second that Stiles was the target.

"Yes," Chris answered confidently.

"How do we find the Nogitsune?" Cora asked. Upon learning of the creature, she immediately suspected that Stiles was the one possessed by the Nogitsune, and that the FTD was a trick, so she needed to know how to save him.

"From what Katashi said, that's the last thing we want," Chris replied bluntly, also too blinded by the dementia theory to see the truth. "Our best bet is to let the Oni kill it and hope it doesn't target us before they do."

"But killing it means killing whoever it's possessing, right?" Erica asked for confirmation, on the same train of thought as her mate.

"Yes."

"What if it's one of us?" Cora prompted. "We have to save the host."

"The Oni already checked all of you," Chris reminded her naively. He'd blame it on the stress of everything (including his sister's resurrection) when he figured it out. "I know you want to protect people but this thing is ancient and dangerous, and we're all better off staying out of it's way."

"What if it doesn't give us a choice?" Aidan challenged.

"Then we better hope the Oni kills it soon." Chris stated. That time he noticed the looks on his daughter's face. With a frown, he looked around and saw similar looks on her mates' faces, along with a few others.

Chris realised they had figured out something that he hadn't. It took a second, then it clicked.

Chris' frown deepened as he realised that they thought Stiles was the Nogitsune and worse, he could see the merit in their theory. He looked at the other parents in turn and realised that most of them hadn't put the pieces together yet, and he wasn't sure if he should make a big deal of it. After all, confronting the teens on the theory would only convince them that it was real. It probably was, but Chris wanted time to formulate his own plan before he roped in the pack.

"Can't you kids stay out of trouble?" Hayley pleaded when she also noticed the looks. "Just this once?"

"Mum, c'mon," Erica drawled. "You should know by now that trouble finds us whether we go looking for it or not."

Hayley opened her mouth to respond, only to change her words when her daughter gasped in pain.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she shot up and made her way to her daughter.

"Dad." Erica declared with glowing eyes, feeling his pain through the pack bonds. "Something's wrong with dad."

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

The wolves took off running and found Jake's car at the edge of the preserve. He had crashed into a tree and was unconscious behind the wheel.

"Dad!" Erica cried out when she saw him. She lost control of her strength and ripped the door off the car in her haste to get to him.

"Be careful," Scott cautioned when she moved to get him out. "If he has a head or spinal injury, moving him wrong could make it worse. Mum's pretty serious about that. The ambulance is on the way, we should let them do it."

"You want me to just sit here and do nothing?" Erica growled as Scott and the others grew closer.

"We can take his pain, try to wake him and see if he remembers anything. I'm just saying we shouldn't move him." Scott corrected patiently as he approached. He then came to a stop next to her and crouched down so he was level with her unconscious father. "May I?"

Erica nodded, and Scott reached out to take the man's pain. Jake sighed in relief, then he gasped and his eyes shot open.

"Dad?" Erica began as she shoved Scott out of the way. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Stiles." Jake groaned.

"Stiles did this to you?"

"He was here," Jake corrected. "I found him and I was bringing him home, then one of those ninja things appeared in the road."

"The Oni?" Scott asked for confirmation, and Jake nodded in confirmation.

"I swerved to avoid it and hit the tree. Then Stiles was gone. I don't know where he went. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Erica assured him. "There's an ambulance on the way, okay? Just try to relax until they get here."

"I'm fine, I don't need an ambulance." Jake insisted stubbornly.

"You're bleeding." Erica argued incredulously. "If I have to go to the hospital for every wolfsbane incident, you definitely have to go after a car accident."

"I'm the parent here." Jake argued as he undid his seatbelt, but was stopped by Erica and Scott when he tried to get out of the car. "I'm fine."

"Mum's almost here," Erica announced, easily hearing her mother's care less than a minute away. "We'll let her decide if you're going or not."

"Dammit." Jake muttered, knowing his wife would insist he get checked up.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Once Jake was on his way to the hospital, with Hayley and Erica following the ambulance in the car, Cora turned to her remaining pack mates.

"There's no trail for Stiles' scent. It's like he never left the car." The born-wolf declared.

"Well, there's no point in running around aimlessly," Lydia stated sternly. "We've lost enough sleep the last few nights, with the pranks, Barrow, and the party. We need to rest before we become useless zombies. I vote we all go to our respective homes for if Stiles becomes lucid and goes somewhere familiar for help."

Not everyone liked that plan but nobody had any better ideas, so they all agreed.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Later that night, Scott and Isaac were asleep in bed at the McCall house. Allison wasn't there because her parents wanted her at home, but she insisted the pair take advantage of Melissa's offer to let them stay over while Stiles was missing.

Melissa was working that night and didn't want Scott to be alone. She suggested they stay at the pack house, but Scott insisted on staying home in case Stiles came in through the window, like he was so fond of.

Scott was pulled from his slumber by the sound of his phone buzzing.

His breath caught in his throat when he looked at the screen and saw that it was Stiles calling.

But was it really Stiles?

There was only one way to find out.

"Hey, man, what's up?" He greeted as casually as he could. No response came. "Stiles?" He tried again but all he heard was static and Stiles breathing shakily. "Stiles, you there?"

"Scott?" Stiles asked, sounding utterly terrified. Scott immediately sat up, making Isaac's head fall from his shoulder to the pillow, but the curly haired beta didn't wake.

"Hey, yeah, I'm here." Scott assured him, in case it really was Stiles on the other end. "Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

"Scott, I don't I don't know where I am. I don't know how I got here. I think I was sleepwalking." 'Stiles' replied and while he sounded truly terrified, Scott's gut told him not to trust it.

He didn't, but he still played along just in case.

"Okay, um, can you see anything? Just tell me what you see."

"Ah, it's dark. It's hard to see. I think there's something wrong with my-" Stiles explained only for the call to come to an abrupt end.

Scott was confused at first and only realised what had happened when he looked at his phone and saw Stiles' face smiling at him.

He got out of bed (so he wouldn't disturb Isaas) and tried calling back.

"Hey," Stiles' voice sounded almost immediately.

"Stiles?" Scott began, thinking he had gotten through to his best friend, but the voice continued before he could say anything else.

"This is Stiles and you missed me. Leave a message." Right. Voicemail. The lack of ringing should have been a tip off.

He began to pace as he tried again.

"Come on." Scott muttered as he tried calling again.

"Hey, this is St-" The voicemail began and Scott quickly hung up to try again. He ran a hand through his hair and tried to calm himself as he called again.

"God, come on. Come on." He muttered as he paced.

After another failed attempt, Stiles' contact picture was finally covered by the incoming call screen.

"Stiles?" Scott asked hopefully.

"Scott, I don't think I can get out of here. I can't move." Stiles' voice sounded worried, but the words immediately made Scott think it was a trap.

"Where are you?" Scott asked anyway. Trap or not, Nogitsune or not, Scott would not leave his best friend out there alone.

"I don't know. I don't know, It's too dark. I can't see much and something's wrong with my leg. It's stuck on something. And it's- I think it's bleeding." Stiles told him but Scott wasn't as worried as he thought he should have been.

"How bad? Stiles, how bad is it?" Scott asked, but Stiles didn't reply. "Stiles, are you there? Can you hear me?"

"Ah, there's some kind of smell down here. Something smells terrible. It's brutal. My eyes are watering."

"Okay, listen. I'm calling your dad." Scott stated. His second call would be to Derek, but he didn't get the chance to say that before Stiles began to protest.

"No, no, no, no, don't." Stiles protested tearfully.

"But your dad-" Scott tried, only to be cut off by 'Stiles'.

"Don't. Just please don't call him. Promise you won't. He already worries about me too much. Scott, please." Stiles begged, and Scott began to wonder if it really was the Nogitsune, or if maybe Stiles had broken free for a moment of control and used said moment to call him. There was only one way to know for sure.

"Then I'll call Derek." Scott stated. It was a simple test; if he refused Derek's help, it wasn't Stiles. If he encouraged Scott to call Derek, it was Stiles. Easy Peasy.

"No, no, no, no, he'll tell my dad," Stiles stammered, sounding terrified. "He always tells my dad. You can't tell him either." Damn, that was a good argument and very Stiles, so Scott deemed his 'easy peasy' test inconclusive.

"But what if I can't find you? Stiles, I can't make a promise like that." Scott protested, terrified of being the reason Stiles didn't come home.

"No, no, no, just please." Stiles begged through his sobs. "Please, don't call him. Come find me. You can do it. He doesn't have to know. Scott, you can find me."

"I don't know if I can do this." Scott admitted.

"Oh, I gotta call you back. I have to turn the phone off." Stiles told him, and Scott could've sworn his heart stopped at those words.

"What? No, hey, wait-"

"I'm gonna call you back."

"Hold on, Stiles, wait. Hold on, man." He begged but it was too late, Stiles had already hung up.

Scott took a moment to think over his options.

He could go against maybe-Stiles' orders and tell Derek and the sheriff anyway, or he could obey and search alone.

Wait, maybe-Stiles only said not to tell Derek or John, but Scott knew someone who would help and keep it a secret. Someone who was conveniently sleeping in his bed.

"Isaac!" He began while nudging his mate's shoulder. "Isaac, get up! I need your help! Isaac!"

"What?" Isaac grumbled as his eyes opened.

Content that his mate was awake, Scott rushed to his dresser, turned on the lamp, and began pulling out clothes to get changed.

"Why are you up? What's wrong?" Isaac inquired as he clamoured out of bed.

"It's Stiles." Scott stated as he tossed a helmet to Isaac. "Get dressed."

"Did he show up?" Isaac asked hopefully as he got out of bed.

"He called me," Scott told him. "We have to go find him."

"Find him? Are you sure? I mean… Was it really him?" Isaac asked with a concerned frown as he pulled a pair of jeans out of the closet.

"I don't know." Scott confessed.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Meanwhile, at the high school, Jackson and Lydia were in the art room, with music playing on the stereo as Lydia drew on a canvas and Jackson posed for her.

Well, he tried to but found it hard to stay in one position for so long. His neck was getting stiff so he rolled his head in an attempt to relieve it.

"I said hold still." Lydia ordered.

"Are we even allowed to be here this late? What if security catches us?" Jackson tried, too distracted by discomfort to notice the glaring hole in his argument. But Lydia noticed and was quick to point it out.

"There is no security. The number of homicides in this school has seen to it that no sane person will ever take a night job here again." Lydia reminded him casually

"So we're all alone?" Jackson asked flirtatiously as he relaxed a little, needing a break from the rigid pose.

"You're losing the pose again." Lydia playfully chastised.

"You know, when you said you wanted me to model for you, this wasn't what I thought you had in mind." Jackson admitted. Lydia smiled for a second, then put on a thoughtful expression.

"Oh, really?" She teased as Jackson took off his shirt and tossed it away, then returned to the requested pose. "If you're thinking nude modelling, it's usually done without the pants." She faux-whispered while pointing with her pencil.

She then returned her eyes to the canvas and continued drawing, only for her eyes to go wide when she heard the familiar sound of a zipper being undone.

Seconds later, a pair of jeans brushed against her shoulder and flew to the ground behind her.

"If I wanted you naked, I would have asked to do this at the house," Lydia told him pointedly, barely holding back her smile.

"Well, that's disappointing." Jackson teased as he reached for the waistband of his boxers.

Lydia's quip died on her tongue when the music stopped.

A familiar sensation overcame her and she rose to her feet, sending her stool crashing to the floor.

"You hear that?" Lydia asked.

"I hear music. What do you hear?" Jackson asked in concern, immediately recognising that her abilities were at play.

"Voices." Lydia stated.

It was mostly incoherent whispering, but then a familiar voice stood out amongst the rest.

"Please, come find me." Stiles' terrified voice begged.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Scott and Isaac were sneaking through the secret passageways in the Hale House when Scott's phone rang again.

Upon seeing that it was Stiles calling, he quickly answered and lifted the phone to his ear.

"Hey, Stiles." Scott began, as Isaac leaned closer to listen.

"Did you call him? Did you call my dad?" Stiles asked in a shaky whisper.

"No. Just Isaac. We're coming to find you." He paused to see if Stiles would protest him getting any help but it never came so he continued. "Can you figure out where you are? Try to find something and tell us where to look."

"It's a basement. I think- I think I'm in some kind of basement." Stiles stammered, still in a whisper.

"In a house?" Scott asked, his face scrunched up in confusion.

"No. It looks bigger. Like industrial. I think there's a furnace. But it's cold. It's freezing down here. I gotta turn the- I gotta turn the phone off. It's going to die." Stiles rambled.

"Wait, wait, wait." Scott pleaded, desperate for more information before he rushed into anything. "What else is there? What do you see?"

"The phone's dying. I can't talk. I have to go." Stiles insisted in the same hushed voice as before.

Then something occurred to Scott.

"Stiles, why are you whispering?" He asked warily.

"Because I think there's someone in here with me."

A week prior, those words would have been a big cause for concern to the mates, but that night was different.

Scott and Isaac shared a look, both suspecting that the 'someone' maybe-Stiles was referring to was the Nogitsune possessing him.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Kira was in her bedroom, lounging in bed on her stomach. She was reading but her eyes were getting tired, so she reached for her lamp and hit the switch but nothing happened.

"Mum, my lamp's dead. Do we have any more bulbs?" She called out while fiddling with the lamp shade. "Mum!"

She took the shade off, revealing the bulb, and she reached out to remove it, only for the bulb to buzz and light up when her fingers grew close.

She pulled her hand back, startled. Then curiosity took over and she decided to try again, intrigued by her power. Curious about what she was truly capable of.

After being scanned and marked by the Oni, she was no longer afraid of herself, and she wanted to know more.

It wasn't a fluke, the bulb sparked to life as her fingers grew closer, and grew brighter when she touched it, fueled by the tiny sparks of electricity shooting from her fingertips.

Then it shattered, overloaded by her power.

Kira's bedroom door opened and her mother walked in, holding a new bulb.

"What did you do?" Noshiko demanded immediately as she eyed her daughter suspiciously.

"Uh, nothing. It was an accident." Kira replied as she moved to get a better look at the shards.

"It's after midnight. You should be asleep." Noshiko stated as she approached to change the bulb, prompting Kira to sit back down.

When she put the new bulb in place, Noshiko noticed it hum and spark in an unnatural way. She glanced at Kira and noticed the guilty and fearful expression on her face, so quickly looked away. She suspected that Kira was coming into her power but she didn't ask, simply waited for her daughter to bring it up first.

She chose not to say anything, simply screwed in the new bulb until it lit up fully.

"Go to sleep." She ordered, then stood up and left the room, silently closing the door behind her.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Scott and Isaac entered Stiles and Derek's closet from the tunnels and paused to listen for the alpha's heartbeat before they started grabbing clothes.

They were surprised when they discovered that not only were two heartbeats coming from within the room, but neither of them were Derek's.

They exchanged a look then exited the closet to find Jackson and Lydia searching the room.

"How did you know? Did he call you too?" Scott asked.

"I heard it." Lydia informed him.

"Oh, okay." Scott nodded, and he couldn't help but be disappointed. If Stiles had called Lydia too, Scott could get away with telling more people, but that wasn't the case.

"We found this." Lydia stated as she held up a loose piece of red string. "He uses red for unsolved cases, I'm gonna check the library for any hint of what case is stuck in his head and what it has to do with him."

"Maybe he thinks he's part of an unsolved case?" Jackson suggested.

"Or is an unsolved case." Isaac chimed in as he looked around the room.

"Hold on." Lydia began when she realised that, while Scott said Stiles had called him, he never said he saw Stiles. "Is he still out there? You don't know where he is?"

"He said he was in an industrial basement somewhere." Scott informed her with a frown.

"We came here to get a better scent." Isaac added.

"What else did he say?" Lydia asked, fearing for her male best friend's wellbeing.

"Something's wrong with his leg. It's bleeding." Scott told her, letting his concern show.

"And he's freezing." Isaac helpfully provided.

"Tonight's the coldest night of the year. It's going to drop into the 20's." Jackson declared, without hiding his own concern. He was still under the belief that Stiles was sick, and that made him a different kind of concerned. "Even for us, it'll be bad, especially if he can't shift. And didn't you say he was still wearing what he wore to the party when you saw him?"

"Yeah, and they were all torn up," Scott confirmed, his frown deepening. "Now that I think about it, I don't think he was wearing shoes. I'm not sure though, I only saw his feet when he jumped out of the window."

"So, not only is he injured, trapped, and freezing, but he's probably been walking around barefoot?" Jackson asked rhetorically. "Fantastic."

"What did his dad say?" Lydia asked. "Does Derek know?"

"We kind of…" Scott squirmed uncomfortably. "We didn't tell them yet."

"Stiles is bleeding and freezing and you didn't call his dad?" Lydia demanded, letting her outrage show. Not telling his overprotective boyfriend she could forgive, but his father? No way.

"He made me promise not to." Scott defended feebly. "We can find him by scent." He continued, and Lydia had to close her eyes and take a deep breath so she wouldn't blow up at him. "If he was sleepwalking he couldn't have gotten far, right?"

"You didn't notice his Jeep is gone, did you?" Jackson asked rhetorically, causing Scott to look ashamed.

"You promised you wouldn't call his dad. I didn't." Lydia declared as she pulled out her phone to do just that.

"Wait, Lydia, hold on. I can get more help." Scott insisted, eager to keep his promise just in case he made it to the real Stiles. "We can wake up everyone who's home, I can call Allison-"

"Everyone except for the cops. Great idea." Lydia declared sarcastically.

"What about Derek?" Isaac asked. "Shouldn't we consider telling him before the sheriff?"

"I still have his phone from when he shifted earlier," Lydia confessed self-deprecatingly. "It has to be his dad."

"But-" Scott was ready to protest again but didn't get the chance to finish his sentence.

"You guys remember she gets these feelings when someone's about to die, right?" Jackson snapped, and Scott finally came to his senses.

"You don't have to call his dad. It's a five minute run to the station in wolf form." Scott declared, then he and Isaac turned to leave.

Jackson moved to follow them, but Lydia reached out a hand to stop him.

"We'll catch up." She declared, and Isaac and Scott looked back at her.

"What? Why?" Scott asked in concern.

"There's something here. In the library," She stated confidently as she held up the red string again.

"You okay going to the bunker alone while I wake the others?" Jackson asked, fully prepared to make Scott and Isaac wake them if she said she wanted him with her.

"Yeah," Lydia nodded without hesitation, then returned her attention to Scott and Isaac, who were still hovering by the door. "Go. We'll be right behind you."

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Derek was running through the streets of Beacon Hills in wolf form, trying to catch his mate's scent.

He had been for five hours straight, since he left Scott, Lydia and Danny filling in Stiles' message. He was exhausted but he couldn't stop, not when the oni were out to kill his mate. As long as the sun was down, they were free to hunt him, so Derek intended to search until the sun came up. Even if the being he ended up protecting was the fox possessing his mate.

Killing the creature meant killing Stiles and Derek couldn't allow that to happen. He wouldn't allow it to happen.

He would protect Stiles even if it meant dying in his place.

He was determined and focused as he ran through town, then he finally caught a scent trail to follow. Not Stiles' scent, but his jeep's.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

John Stilinski was nearly in tears when Scott told him what was going on.

However, he couldn't break down in front of the two teenagers, so he took a moment to compose himself before looking at Scott.

"Come on. If his Jeep is gone, that's where we start." John declared, then turned his attention to his deputy. "Parrish, let's get an APB out on a blue 1980 CJ-5 Jeep." He ordered, then turned to another deputy. "Cordova, I want a list of any kind of industrial basement or sub-level of any building that he could've gotten into while sleepwalking." He ordered and the man nodded. He then turned to look around the room at the other deputies working that night. "It's the coldest night of the year so far. So If he's out there barefoot in just a T-shirt, he could already be hypothermic. Let's move fast. Let's think fast." John ordered. Parrish nodded and immediately got to work.

"Have you told Derek yet?" Tara called out to Scott and Isaac. "Or any of the pack?"

"Lydia knew he was missing." Scott replied carefully, purposefully only answering the second question.

"Can she help find him?" John asked, like Scott, he momentarily forgot that Lydia's power wasn't to find people, but predict their deaths.

Perhaps it was willful ignorance and denial on their parts, perhaps it was a sign, either way, Isaac didn't have the heart to point it out like Jackson had.

"Well, she's working on it." Isaac answered instead.

"Anything else?" John asked, hoping for something more concrete to go on.

"I called Allison for help." Scott stated, but failed to mention that she didn't answer.

"What about Derek?" John asked.

"He's not home and Lydia still has his phone from when he shifted earlier." Isaac told him.

"There have been a dozen calls over the last five hours of a black wolf running through the streets. I figured it was him and just kept lying and telling everyone I'd called animal control." Tara informed them. "Last spotted two blocks away, ten minutes ago, heading towards the hospital. I'll call the hospital now and tell Melissa to keep an eye out for him."

"Can you find him by scent?" John asked Scott, referring to Stiles.

Before Scott could answer, Parrish shot up from his desk, having gotten a hit on the APB. "We got it, sir. We found the Jeep."

The jeep was parked outside the hospital. Two police cruisers pulled up, and Scott and John got out of the first.

John immediately rushed to his son's jeep and checked inside. "It's dead. He must have left the lights on."

"Why would he come here?" Scott wondered aloud.

"Let's find out."

As John and his deputies rushed into the hospital, Melissa was jogging towards them.

"Security's doing sweeps of every floor. Nothing yet." She informed John.

"What about the basement?" He asked.

"Follow me." She said, and he obeyed.

Scott was going to follow too, but then he picked up a familiar scent and signalled to Isaac. The pair followed the scent to the roof and found their alpha there.

Derek was in human form and fully dressed, thanks to Stiles keeping spare clothes for the whole pack in the boot of his jeep.

"He's not here. Not anymore." Derek told his betas.

"You mean the whole building?" Scott asked.

"Gone." Derek declared, sounding remarkably calm given the situation. The run appeared to have done the job, and finding his mate's vehicle hadn't been as daunting as it could have been. He had a single minded focus and infinite patience.

"I'll go tell Stilinski." Isaac told his mate.

"And see if you can find Allison. She's not answering her phone." Scott requested and Isaac nodded, then gave him a soft, reassuring kiss before leaving.

Scott rushed over to Derek but the alpha didn't turn to look at him, just kept staring ahead.

"Notice how strong the scent is up here? Do you remember what I taught you about chemo signals?" The alpha asked calmly.

"Yeah."

"Take a deep breath and tell me what you feel."

Scott closed his eyes and took a deep breath, frowned, then opened his eyes again.

"Stress." Scott declared after a moment.

"And anxiety." Derek provided.

"What was he doing up here?" Scott asked, slightly afraid of the answer.

"I don't know." Derek reluctantly confessed. "But there was definitely some kind of struggle." He added, causing Scott to look at him with wide eyes.

"With who?" The beta asked with eyes wide in alarm.

"Himself." Derek answered, and Scott suddenly understood why the alpha was so calm, even if Derek didn't.

Evidence of a struggle with himself was proof that Stiles was more likely to be possessed than sick, and that meant they could help him…

If they could find him.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Back at the Sheriff's station, Rafael McCall was walking around with his arm in a sling, looking for someone who could give him answers on who, or rather what, attacked him.

He noticed Parrish sitting at his desk, typing away at his computer.

"Where is everyone? We get a lead on our sword-wielding maniac?" McCall asked.

"Nope." Parrish practically chirped. "But we've got posters up all over town for your guy." He added while turning his head to look at the poster in question with a smug smile tugging at his lips that he desperately fought off.

"Not exactly how I described him to the sketch artist." McCall complained as the deputy returned his attention to his computer screen.

"Well, you're not exactly the highest priority of the night, Agent McCall." Parrish informed him bluntly.

"What does that mean?" McCall asked in concern. "What's the high priority?"

Parrish hesitated, unsure if the man could be trusted or not. Ultimately, he decided that they needed as much help as they could get and told McCall about Stiles.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Lydia was searching through the clues in the library when Jackson walked in.

"Everyone's up and getting dressed," He informed her as he strode towards her. "How's it going here?"

"Not as fast as I hoped, but I'm on the right track, I know it." She told him, her desperation seeping through. Sensing that, he hugged her from behind and rested his head on her shoulder.

"You'll figure it out, you always do. Don't rush it. If you stress yourself out, it'll take even longer. You've gotten there in time and saved people before, you can do it again. You just have to cut yourself some slack," He assured her gently.

"I know, it's just harder this time because it's not some stranger, it's Stiles." She sighed.

"I know," Jackson sympathised. "But that's exactly why you'll pull it off. Because it's Stiles."

Lydia opened her mouth to reply but, before she could get a word out, her phone pinged. She picked it up and saw that she had a text from Scott.

"Nothing at hospital. Derek headed to high school. Isaac going to find Allison." She read aloud for her mate to hear, and both were relieved to hear that Derek had turned up. "Scott's with the Sheriff."

"You want me to put on some music or grab some string?" Jackson asked as she set the phone down again.

"Why?" Lydia asked with a confused frown. For once, she had no idea what was going on in her mate's head.

"Well, earlier- or yesterday, I guess, you said plucking the string caused the whispers that lead you all over town. And the music earlier is how you heard Stiles ask for help, so I figured-" Jackson explained, only to be cut off by a passionate kiss from his mate.

"You are a genius." She complimented, and those were big words coming from an actual genius.

Like she had in the woods, Lydia took the piece of string she found and tied it to her index finger and thumb on her left hand and pulled it taut, then plucked it.

"They're whispering." She announced with a joyful smile. "Something about a house."

"What house?" Jackson pressed.

Lydia plucked the string again, then turned to look at a picture on the desk.

"That one." She announced.

"Eichen House?" Jackson asked incredulously as Malia, Cora, Ethan, and Aidan walked in.

"What's Eichen House?" Malia asked, hoping Lydia would give a clearer answer than her cousin did.

"A mental health centre." Lydia informed her. "It's where William Barrow, the shrapnel bomber, was committed."

"Is that it?" Cora asked sharply.

"That's where he is." Lydia declared confidently. "That's where Stiles is."

"Then let's go." Malia declared.

"No, just me and Jackson," Lydia demanded firmly. "You can meet us at the hospital, but if you came to find him, he could get spooked and run away again, like he did when Derek called Scott earlier."

"Promise you'll take him straight to the hospital." Cora ordered with a glare.

"I promise." Lydia vowed without hesitation.

"Fine, but if it takes more than an hour, I'll cut your hair with my claws while you sleep." Cora threatened.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

John pulled up outside Eichen House with Scott to find Lydia already there with Jackson, staring at the gate.

"Lydia, I don't want to say 'Are you sure about this' but-" John began carefully, only to be cut off by the redheaded teen.

"No, he's here." Lydia insisted. "I swear to God he's here. This is why we were brought here earlier, I just got us here too early."

John sighed and looked at the ominous gate looming over them.

Less than a minute later, he, Scott, Lydia, and Jackson stormed into the building and rushed to the reception desk.

"I need access to all basement rooms in this facility." John demanded.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Back at the station, Rafael McCall approached Parrish again, this time with a piece of paper clutched in his hand.

"Hey, is this the exact transcript of Scott and Stiles' phone call?" McCall asked.

"It's what he gave us." Parrish told him.

"But these words. Stiles says, 'Something smells terrible. My eyes are watering'." McCall quoted, but Parrish didn't understand and shook his head as he opened and closed his mouth in an attempt to get some words out.

"Hi, I'm Melissa McCall." A familiar voice stated, and McCall followed it to the reception area. "I was hoping to see Agent McCall."

The deputy working the front desk noticed the man walk in, and signalled so to Melissa by nodding in his direction.

"What are you doing here?" Rafael asked as he approached her.

"My shift was over. I just wanted to see if I could help." She explained with a tilt of her head. She couldn't go home when Stiles was out there, freezing, and injured, and alone. She couldn't pick up his scent, so she couldn't help with that, but there had to be something she could do.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Lydia ran into the basement with the others close behind.

"It's here. It's right here." She declared as she led them to a door.

"Stiles?" She called out while jogging down the small flight of steps to the area where the furnace was.

The four of them looked around, but Stiles was nowhere in sight.

"Lydia?" Scott questioned with a frown.

"I don't get it." She whispered with tears pooling in her eyes. "This has to be it."

John was overwhelmed by the fear of losing his son and couldn't hold it back anymore.

"Then where is he, huh?" The sheriff asked darkly. "Where is he? Where is he?" He demanded in a shout.

Lydia flinched but refused to blink, lest the tears fall. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but no words would come out.

Stilinski immediately felt guilty. More than that, he was appalled at himself for losing it, and at a teenager no less. One who was only trying to help.

"I'm sorry." The sheriff apologised sincerely.

"I don't understand." Lydia whispered as Jackson wrapped her in a comforting hug, but she didn't hug him back. She could barely move. She was so sure.

They were supposed to find Stiles that night, she knew it, so where did she go wrong?

Why did the voices lie? Where was Stiles? Where should they go next? And, most importantly, would they get there in time to save him?

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Melissa was in the car with her ex-husband, driving towards the preserve.

"So what are you saying?" She asked.

"I'm saying the real question might be, how do we know he's not still asleep?"

"You mean he's been asleep the whole time?" She drawled incredulously.

"Well, people who sleepwalk can do crazy things." Rafael defended. "One guy goes down to the kitchen and cook's an entire meal. Another guy is found mowing his lawn naked."

"Why's any of that matter?" Melissa demanded.

"Remember that townhouse apartment we lived in?" He asked rhetorically. "There was that one night I came home drunk."

"Oh, one night?" She rolled her eyes and shot him a pointed look.

"Let me finish." He implored. She shot him a look but complied anyway. "So I'm drunk, passed out on the bed. I get up to go to the bathroom. Suddenly I hear you yelling 'What the hell are you doing?'"

"Because you were in the closet peeing into the laundry basket." She reminded him with a disbelieving chuckle.

"Yeah, I thought it was the bathroom."

"Oh, no, you were drunk off your ass." She reminded him.

"Yeah, But I was convinced it was the bathroom." He defended.

"Yeah."

"So how do we know isn't just convinced he's in some kind of basement?" He asked. "And isn't actually there. I think when he called Scott, he was still asleep. And is still asleep right now."

"Then where is he?" Melissa asked, not really expecting an answer.

"I got an idea about that too."

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

The Nogitsune had Stiles exactly where it wanted him.

Sure, he got away from the endless white room and briefly regained control, but only for an hour.

It didn't matter that Stiles could briefly regain control because the Nogitsune would always be inside, lurking, waiting for an opening. Sure, there was a little issue in that it couldn't see through Stiles' eyes that time, but it was unconcerning.

Even when it was the one trapped in Stiles' head for an hour, the Nogitsune was still confident. It knew it would regain control, and it did.

The Nogitsune found Stiles scribbling a note for Derek at the loft, regained control and swiftly destroyed the note.

One of the Oni found the Nogitsune there but it simply shoved Stiles' hand into the shadow creature's chest and crushed the firefly within, killing the Oni.

Then, once it had Stiles securely locked in a delusion, it called Scott and pleaded for help, since Stiles wasn't willing to make the call himself. The Nogitsune did a good job of impersonating a terrified Stiles and got Scott out of bed and searching for his best friend.

Nothing could stop it now. Stiles was so close to breaking and the pack were once again losing a night of sleep searching for him, with the exception of Allison. The Nogitsune made sure to turn her phone off while she slept, just to give Scott and Isaac a little fright. And so it could leave a little something for her.

Stiles was scared and confused, still reeling from the game they played in the labyrinth in his mind.

It took a few tries, but the Nogitsune successfully altered his memory and made Stiles believe his wolf was dead, which devastated the teen enough to lower his defences and allow further manipulation.

The Nogitsune had him convinced he was in the basement at Eichen House and hallucinating a trap on his leg.

Everything was going according to plan.

"You don't understand, do you? It's a riddle. Do you know any riddles, Stiles?"

"A few." Stiles muttered. As much as he wanted to fight back, he knew he had to play along for the sake of his pack. That's what the voices said and he trusted them.

"What gets bigger the more you take away?" The Nogitsune asked.

"A hole." Stiles answered shakily.

"What gets wetter the more it dries?"

"A towel."

"When is a door not a door?" It asked and relished in the way Stiles hesitated and flashed back to Bardo.

"When it's ajar." Stiles answered after a beat of silence.

"Everyone has it, but no one can lose it. What is it?" The creature asked its final riddle.

"I don't-" Stiles whispered, desperately trying to figure out the answer.

He knew that the answer would lead to the next stage of the nogitsune's plan, which was crucial to the voices' plan.

The creature stopped drawing on the wall and approached him slowly.

"Everyone has it, but no one can lose it. What is it, Stiles?" The creature asked again as it grew ever closer.

"I don't- I don't know." Stiles stammered, willing his brain to work faster and figuring it out. But it was hard to think when his leg was throbbing and he was so cold.

Then he got distracted and began to wonder where he was that was so damn cold.

"Everyone has it, but no one can lose it." The creature repeated, reminding Stiles of what he was supposed to be thinking about.

"I don't know."

Frustrated by the answer, the creature got up in his face and shouted, and its sharp teeth were all Stiles could focus on.

After a second or two, the creature turned and walked away, grabbing the chain attached to the trap on his leg in the process.

The Nogitsune claimed the trap was a hallucination but it certainly felt real as Stiles was dragged across a concrete floor, screaming in agony.

"No! No! No! No!" He screamed repeatedly as he scrambled for something to hold onto, so he gave up and rolled onto his back, still screaming all the while.

"No, wait!"

He was still being dragged.

"Wait!"

Something new happened.

"Wait!" He hollered as someone grabbed his torso.

"Stiles."

He was forced into a sitting position.

"Wait! No, Wait!"

"Stiles!"

"Wait!"

"Stiles, you're alright! Okay! You're alright."

Stiles stopped screaming when he finally recognised the voice. Melissa. It wasn't the Nogitsune, it was Melissa.

"Stiles, you're all right." Her comforting voice assured him.

But was he?

He wasn't in a basement, he was in the woods. She was there, and Agent McCall was looking at him in concern.

He didn't solve the riddle, and the creature left him in control.

It didn't feel like he was alright.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Allison woke up to the sound of somebody banging on the door of the apartment her parents rented and rushed to answer it, hoping for news about Stiles.

"What the hell have you been doing?" Isaac demanded, torn between relief and frustration when she answered the door.

"Sleeping. What the hell are you doing?" She asked dryly.

"You didn't get any calls or- or texts?" Isaac asked in concern. Allison immediately turned and marched to her bedroom. Isaac took the hint and stepped inside, pausing to close and lock the door before following her.

He arrived at the bedroom just in time to see her pick up her phone.

"My phone's off." She declared with a frown as she turned it back on, then looked at him as she waited for it to do so. "I never turn my phone off."

"I know." Isaac grumbled, and she knew he was trying to get over the lingering concern that had built up as he ran to check on her. She took a moment to comfortingly caress his arm as she waited for her phone to boot up.

As soon as it was on, her phone began chiming with texts and missed call notifications. She quickly read through the texts to save Isaac the effort of catching her up.

"Sleepwalking?" She asked in alarm. She knew there was a chance it was another trick, but it was scary all the same. The fact that he couldn't access his wolf made the concept scary enough, but throw in the Oni hunting him, his state of dress, and the low temperature, and it made it potentially life threatening, and that was terrifying. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah, they found him a few minutes ago. They're bringing him to the hospital." Isaac assured her.

"I don't know what happened. I never turn it off." Allison reiterated as she continued to check her phone.

Then she noticed something odd and frowned. She tapped the screen to play a voicemail from an unknown caller.

A male voice speaking Japanese came from the phone.

"Who's that?" Isaac asked, but Allison didn't have the answer.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

The entire pack was on their way to the hospital, showing up in groups.

Danny, the twins, and Peter arrived together, and Malia, Cora, Boyd, and Erica were right behind them on motorbikes.

Six of them were quick to rush to the building, but Peter and Aidan didn't go straight inside. Instead, they pulled up by the jeep and got out the cables to jump start it.

"So, you think he was just sleepwalking because he has dementia? Or is there something more to it?" Aidan asked the born wolf.

"In this town there's always something more." Peter answered.

"Do you really think it could be dementia?" Aidan pressed as he watched Peter. He didn't want to just blurt out his theory to somebody who wouldn't take it seriously.

"I don't know what to believe." Peter confessed. "It certainly seems plausible, but I'll admit it doesn't feel right to me. And I'm guessing it doesn't to you either."

"No, it doesn't." Aidan confirmed. "What if I told you I know something more? I kind of overheard- Well, I listened in on Scott talking to Allison and Isaac. When Stiles showed up at the school, he told Scott that he thinks he was the one who wrote that message in the Chemistry room. The message telling Barrow to kill Kira."

"You think Stiles is the Nogitsune?" Peter asked monotonously. He suspected the same, and he knew Derek did too, but he also knew that Derek would only keep it quiet for a reason.

"I'm not the only one thinking it, I'm just the only one saying it." Aidan declared confidently. He'd seen Scott, Isaac, and Allison exchange worried looks. He noticed how Lydia got all quiet when Chris told the rest of them about the Nogitsune. He saw the realisation dawn for Cora, Erica, and Danny too. Ethan clearly suspected it too but refused to believe it, and Aidan didn't have the heart to talk to him about it yet.

But Peter had a different reaction to everybody else. The moment Chris said 'Nogitsune', Peter sprouted a look of disappointed acceptance, like he knew but didn't truly accept it until Chris confirmed it for him. Aidan saw it and knew that Peter was the one to approach about his suspicions.

"If Stiles were the Nogitsune, it would be catastrophic for all of us. Especially our more emotion-driven pack mates. They'd try to appeal to his true nature, rather than play along with the Nogitsune's tricks. Which could very well lead to further chaos." Peter replied carefully.

"How is thinking he's sick any better?" Aidan demanded, wanting Peter's true opinion on both matters before he continued expressing his own.

"They won't push him if they believe he has dementia. They'll treat him like he's fragile and cater to his delusions."

"If they are delusions." Aidan retorted. "Going along with it could allow it to lead them into deadly traps."

"Perhaps. Or perhaps going along with it would allow us to gain its trust, and buy us more time to figure out how to stop it without harming the host." Peter countered.

"Do you think we can?" Aidan asked with a frown. "I mean, nobody has ever survived before. Katashi said the host always dies, right?"

"So Chris said," Peter nodded once. "However, I've learned never to question this pack. Derek assembled a rather remarkable group, supernatural and humans alike. I know better than to underestimate them. If anyone can pull it off, it's them."

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

John stepped out of Stiles' hospital room and ambled down the hall to find Melissa, Derek, Scott, Allison, Isaac, Lydia, Jackson, Erica, Cora, Boyd, Malia, Danny, Ethan, and Rafael crowded in the hallway.

Those sitting immediately stood up when they saw him.

"He's sleeping now." John began as he approached the group of fourteen, only continuing when he came to a stop in front of Derek. "And he's just fine." He added, causing most of them to sigh in relief. "He doesn't remember much. It's a bit like a dream to him." He then looked to Rafael and gave a sincere "Thank you."

"It was that repellent we sprayed in the coyote den to keep other animals out. I couldn't go near it without my eyes watering. It's just a good thing he mentioned it over the phone." The agent commented, unwilling to accept the praise for finding Stiles.

"No, it was more than that." John insisted. "Thank you."

"It was a lucky connection." Rafael dismissed with a shake of his head.

"McCall, can you shut up please and accept my sincerest gratitude." John requested while shooting the man a look that made it clear he thought it was stupid that the agent was arguing.

There was a beat of silence as Rafael considered it, then he accepted the hand John was holding out for him and shook it.

"Accepted."

"Can we see him?" Cora asked John. "Just for a minute."

"In trios and pairs only, no more than five minutes each, and if any of you wake him, you're grounded for a month." John laid out the rules, and the teens eagerly agreed. "Alright, Cora asked first so…"

"Can we go last?" Scott asked.

"Sure thing," John agreed easily.

Cora, Erica, and Boyd went first. Lydia and Jackson went second. Danny and Ethan went third. Malia went fourth. And Scott, Allison, and Isaac went last as planned.

After everyone had their five minutes with Stiles, they turned to Derek as a group.

"No." Derek stated before they could ask.

"We didn't say anything," Scott defended.

"I know what you want and the answer is no." Derek declared with a stern glare. He then looked to Melissa and John for back-up.

"All right, you kids. You've got school in less than six hours. Go home. Go to sleep." Melissa ordered.

"Okay." Scott agreed without hesitation, then hugged his mum. "Wait, our house or the pack house?"

"The pack house." She stated without hesitation, much to Derek's relief. "I'll join you there later."

"We're not kids," Cora huffed, but turned to leave anyway, then paused to look back at her brother. "I'm guessing you're staying here?"

"Yes." Derek stated with a singular nod.

"You can go sit with him now, if you'd like," John offered.

Derek nodded again and made his way to the room. He didn't say anything because he didn't trust himself not to make a snide comment about not being allowed in sooner.

Everyone moved except Lydia, so Jackson took her hand and gently guided her to follow them. The teens made their way out, leaving John, Melissa, and Rafael alone to discuss Stiles' condition.

"So, Stiles wasn't at Eichen House," Cora couldn't help but comment.

"I don't know what happened. I was so sure." Lydia whispered, still confused as to how she had been so wrong.

"Yeah, I wasn't much help either." Scott commiserated. "Doesn't matter, if he's okay." He added reassuringly.

"He's right," Jackson chimed in as he squeezed her hand gently. "He's safe now. You can relax."

Lydia nodded, then froze when she heard something.

Something loud and unsettling.

A loud metallic clanging.

"Lydia, do you hear something?" Scott asked quickly.

"No." Lydia lied, and fortunately for her, nobody was listening to her heartbeat. "I didn't hear anything."

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

The next day at school, Allison and Isaac approached Mr Yukimura and played him the voice message left on her phone the night before.

"You're right. It's Japanese." He told her. "Who left this on your phone?"

"I don't know." She told him honestly. "All of the messages are the same and they all say 'Blocked ID'."

"Can you translate it?" Isaac asked.

"Mostly." The teacher answered. "The man speaking is giving instructions actually. The first line is, 'All evacuees are required to stay at least 10 feet back from outside fences'."

The mates shared a look.

"What does that mean? What fences?" Isaac inquired.

"The fences surrounding a Japanese internment camp during World war II." Mr Yukimura explained calmly. "After Pearl Harbor, Japanese-Americans were rounded up and put in camps. This man is reading instructions to prisoners upon their arrival."

"Well, where does something like this come from?" Allison asked.

"I have no idea. Because it's fake." He declared, much to the surprise of the teens. "It mentions the name of the internment camp as 'Oak Creek'. There was no internment camp named Oak Creek in California."

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Scott was going through his locker when he noticed Lydia flinching at the sound of a locker on the other side of her being slammed shut.

"You okay?" He asked in concern, having noticed that she'd been jumpy all day.

"Yeah." She replied softly, looking around nervously. "I'm just a little hyper-sensitive to loud sounds today." As if on cue, there was another loud bang from an indeterminate source and she flinched again.

Scott was officially concerned.

"They're doing tests on Stiles all afternoon. I was going to go over at around six to visit. You want to come with me?" He offered.

"I should probably just go home." She said, and there was another loud bang, and she flinched again.

Scott looked around but didn't see anything that could have spooked her.

"You sure you're okay?" He asked, his voice thick with concern.

"Yeah." She replied unconvincingly. "I'll text you later."

She began to walk away, noting how loud everything seemed. Books being set on the table were as loud as a locker being shut, and it was all too much.

She couldn't take it, and left the school without looking back.

She went straight to her car and got behind the wheel, but didn't put the key in the ignition.

She just sat there and relished in the quiet.

Then the passenger side door opened.

Lydia looked and saw Cora get in.

She flinched when the door slammed shut, and Cora narrowed her eyes.

"What do you hear?" Cora asked sternly.

"Nothing," Lydia lied, but the dark-haired girl clearly didn't believe her.

"Tell me." The she-wolf demanded. "It's important."

"Like what I heard last night?" The Banshee snapped.

"So you got it wrong once, so what? You can't ignore your power just because you made one mistake." Cora stated bluntly.

"Until I know why I was wrong, I can't trust my powers anymore." The redhead retorted, shaken by the supposed regression in her abilities.

"That's like saying the rest of us can't trust our noses because we couldn't pick up on Stiles' scent. It's bullshit and you know it." The brunette shot back. "What are you really afraid of?"

Lydia bit her lip and shook her head. She desperately wanted to scream to the whole pack that Stiles was the Nogitsune, but she couldn't until Derek gave her permission.

"Fine." Cora huffed. "Don't tell me and keep suffering alone. That always works out great."

"Derek knows." Lydia defended softly, hoping to calm the werewolf but it had the opposite effect.

"Derek is even worse than you right now." Cora growled. "You're both being idiots."

"We're-"

"Trying to help Stiles on your own." Cora interjected. "You, Derek, Scott, Allison, and Isaac. You're keeping secrets and you're not doing a good job. We all know you know more than you're sharing, and it's screwing everything up."

"How?" The Banshee asked with a concerned frown.

"We're pack, we're supposed to come together in a crisis, not split up and keep secrets. Derek is the main problem here, but the four of you going along with it isn't helping." The she-wolf explained. "If you want to help Stiles, you need to let us know what's actually happening."

"What do you think is actually happening?" Lydia asked carefully.

"You know what I think." Cora replied sternly. "What I want to know is why you think letting the rest of us think he has dementia is a good idea?"

"I had no idea the sheriff thought that, or that he was going to tell everyone. If I had, I would've talked to Derek sooner." Lydia admitted without thinking.

"But you did talk to him?" Cora prompted.

"Yes."

"And he still isn't willing to tell the truth?"

"He's coming around, but no, he's not ready yet." Lydia confessed.

"And you won't tell us without his permission." Cora stated knowingly.

"I trust his judgement." Lydia stated in self defence.

"Maybe, this time, you shouldn't." Cora stated, then got out of the car.

Lydia flinched again when the door slammed shut.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

When lunch came around, only Jackson, Danny, Cora, Erica, Boyd, Ethan, Aidan, and Kira were at the usual table. Lydia had sent a text to say she'd be eating in her car because everything was too loud, and Scott, Allison, and Isaac were spending their lunch period at the hospital.

"So, the Nogitsune…" Kira began slowly at lunch. "Who do you think it could be?"

"I think we all know exactly who it is." Aidan stated.

"I don't." Ethan admitted with a deep frown. "Who?"

"Stiles. He thinks it's Stiles." Danny informed his boyfriend.

"You say that like you don't." Aidan commented with a raised eyebrow.

"I won't lie, I thought about it for a second, but the sheriff is pretty convinced it's dementia," Danny replied casually, carefully talking around the truth. He actually did believe Stiles was the one possessed but he knew Derek would only keep it a secret for a good reason and he wanted to help.

"Maybe what looks like dementia is actually possession." Aidan argued.

"Or maybe the dementia is just a trick to hide the possession." Jackson chimed in.

"What does Lydia think?" Erica asked Jackson, who immediately scowled.

"She won't talk about it," Jackson admitted, his displeasure clear.

"Is that normal for her?" Kira asked, even though her time with the pack already gave her the answer, she simply wanted confirmation.

"No," Jackson stated firmly as he used his fork to move his food around his plate. "Not since we joined the pack."

"So, why would she keep something so big a secret?" Kira asked curiously. At Jackson's expression, she hastily added, "I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just trying to understand why."

"Because she's scared and she wants to protect us." Jackson told her, his tone was a little snappy but calmer than she expected.

"Lydia knows we're safer when we're prepared," Erica argued, unwilling to believe that the redhead would actually keep something so serious from them.

"Usually, when our enemy is just an enemy," Jackson corrected the blonde. "But this is Stiles. If he really is possessed by an ancient fox spirit that kills everyone including the host, she'll do whatever it takes to save him. Even if it means lying to us to buy her more time to investigate."

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

At the hospital that evening, John, Derek, Melissa and Scott were with Stiles in the MRI room. Scott and Derek were hovering by Stiles, while John and Melissa stood with the doctor.

"I'm not sure I know how to pronounce this. Or if it's not actually a misspelling." The doctor commented as he looked at the chart.

"Just call him Stiles." John stated, not in the mood for jokes.

"Okay." The doctor agreed, then turned and walked over to the teen. "Stiles, just to warn you, you're going to hear a lot of noise during the MRI. It's due to pulses of electricity going through metal coils inside the machine. Uh, if you want we can get you earplugs or headphones."

"Oh, no, no, I don't need anything." Stiles replied with a tight-lipped smile.

"Hey, we're just on the other side of that window." The sheriff reminded his son gently. "Okay?"

"Okay." Stiles nodded and patted his father on the shoulder, and John and Melissa left. Once they were out of earshot, Stiles looked at his best friend. "You know what they're looking for, right? It's called frontotemporal dementia. Areas of your brain start to shrink. It's what my mother had. It's the only form of dementia that can hit teenagers. And there's no cure."

He didn't want to say those things, but the creature made him. It was still determined to go through with its initial plan, despite knowing that Stiles had figured it out. It was the most efficient way to keep the pack out of its way.

"You're a werewolf." Scott reminded him. "You can't get sick."

"I wouldn't be the first werewolf to not heal from something," Stiles retorted sadly, his eyes downcast.

"If you have it, we'll find a cure. Something magick. I'll talk to Deaton, he'll know something. I promise, I'll do whatever it takes to save you." Scott insisted, and he meant it. Be it dementia or possession, Scott wouldn't rest until he found a way to help his best friend.

Seeing the conviction in Scott's eyes, Stiles leaned forward and hugged him tight. Scott eagerly returned the hug.

When it came to an end, Scott left too, leaving the mates alone.

"Derek, I-" Stiles began, but didn't know what else to say and just gaped like a fish out of water until Derek helpfully spoke up.

"If you have it, I'll still be by your side every step of the way." Derek vowed as reached up to caress his mate's left cheek. He knew for a fact it was his mate in control, but he also knew that the creature was still in there, listening in, so he had to act like he still believed the trick. It was surprisingly easy to channel those emotions when Stiles looked so scared and vulnerable in his hospital gown and joggers. "I'll always take care of you."

"What if… What if I end up thinking of you the way my mother thought of me?" Stiles asked softly with tears in his eyes. It wasn't what he wanted to say but the creature was paying attention, so he had to.

"I'll know it's not really you, and I'll endure it." Derek declared confidently. "I promise, nothing will change how I feel about you. Nothing will stop me from loving you."

He wasn't just talking about the potential effects of dementia and Stiles knew that. He knew the alpha was really telling him that no matter what he did while under the creature's control, Derek would always love him.

Stiles couldn't help himself; he pulled his mate in for a quick but passionate kiss.

When they parted, Stiles wrapped his arms around Derek and hugged him tight.

"Don't trust anything I say from now on," Stiles whispered as quietly as he could, so soft that Derek barely heard him, and Scott definitely wouldn't.

After that, Derek had to leave so they could start the test. Stiles laid down, and was soon moved into the tube.

"Okay, Stiles. This will take about 45 minutes to an hour." The doctor warned over the speaker. Stiles began to shuffle to get comfortable when the doctor's voice sounded again. "Now remember, try not to move." Stiles froze for a moment, but quickly noticed that his head was in an awkward position and straightened it, but the voice came again. "Even just a little bit."

"Stiles, you're going to hear that noise now. It's going to be a loud clanging. Kind of like a hammer hitting an anvil." The doctor warned, then the noise began.

Stiles immediately wished he'd accepted the earplugs.

Meanwhile, in her car, Lydia heard the same clanging that Stiles did. It was the same sound she'd be hearing all day but louder and faster.

Lydia tried to drown it out with music, but it was in vain.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Scott and Derek decided not to join Melissa and John in the observation room, instead opting to sit in the waiting area.

"Do you remember teaching me to use anger to control the shift?" Scott asked.

"I think you ended up teaching me more about that." Derek replied with a fond smile.

"Is there anything else you can teach me?" Scott asked. "Something that'll help Stiles?"

"You remember me saying I talked to my mother?"

"Yeah," Scott replied slowly, still confused about how he did that.

"She didn't just tell me about the Nogitsune." Derek stated. "She told me something that changed my perspective on a lot of things. She said that my family didn't just live in Beacon Hills. They protected it. This town needs someone to protect it. Someone like you."

"Me? But you're the alpha."

"Yes, but I wouldn't be the alpha I am without you." Derek declared. "I needed you and your good heart when I was starting out, or I'd still only be using pain and fear to control the shift. Yeah, Stiles is the reason I listened, but you were always the one suggesting better ways. Pointing out how barbaric it was. It's why I need you as my beta. I need you to make me a better alpha."

"You made me better too," Scott declared. "Without you protecting me and making the hard decisions, I wouldn't even be alive right now." He declared, then realisation hit him like a ton of bricks.

"What?" Derek asked when he noticed the look on Scott's face. Scott rose to his feet.

"He was trying to protect us." Scott declared as he looked at Derek. "Stiles was protecting us."

"From himself." Derek realised, catching on to Scott's train of thought.

The pair quickly made their way back to the roof and began to search.

"What are we looking for?" Derek asked.

"I'm not sure. But I think Stiles wasn't just up here struggling with himself. I think he was struggling not to do something." Scott explained as he jogged over to a fenced off area where he'd last noticed Stiles' scent.

He noticed something on the tin roof of the fenced off area and reached up.

He quickly felt something and pulled, sending a bag of tools crashing down.

The pair shared a concerned look, then looked up to see a frayed, sparking cable.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

In the car, the clanging was too much for Lydia, and she let out a scream.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Oblivious to the banshee screaming across town, the doctor studied the brain scan with a horrified expression.

John looked at the screen, feeling a dark sense of deja vu.

"See this?" The doctor asked as he pointed at the screen and John nodded. "The tissue here and there." John nodded again. "Both those spots are showing signs of atrophy."

Melissa closed her eyes, devastated by the news.

"Atrophy." John repeated.

"I'm sorry." The doctor told him sincerely.

Melissa didn't know what to say as John silently broke down, so simply rested a hand on his shoulder in an attempt at comfort.

Back in the tube, Stiles felt like he was losing it as he listened to the clanging.

It was too much to take, so he clenched his eyes shut and tried to imagine being anywhere else.

Then everything went quiet.

It was time.

He opened his eyes again and found himself standing by the MRI machine, wearing his own clothes. The lighting was different, but the room was the same.

The only addition being the Nogitsune sneaking around the machine.

"Have you figured out my riddle yet?" It asked as Stiles moved, trying to get a better look. "If you answer correctly, we might consider letting them go." It continued as it came around the other side of the machine so it was in front of him.

"Letting who go?" Stiles asked. The creature turned its back on him and looked through the observation window at Melissa and John.

"Your friends. Your family. Everyone who ever meant something to you. We're going to destroy all of them, Stiles. One-by-one." It threatened slowly. So, it was done pretending to be nice. Stiles actually preferred that.

"Why?" Stiles asked in a whisper, tears of fear streaming down his cheeks.

"Everyone has it, but no one can lose it." It told its riddle again and Stiles shook his head as more tears fell. "What is it?"

"I don't know." Stiles stated as the creature looked back at him. He needed more time to figure it out.

"Everyone has it, but no one can lose it. What is it?"

"I don't know." Stiles repeated, his distress and frustration growing. He wanted to give the answer he simply didn't know what it was. He wished the voices would tell him, but he knew they couldn't risk talking to him when the Nogitsune was paying attention, so he was on his own.

"Everyone has it, but no one can lose it." It began again while unwrapping the bandages around its head. Stiles turned his back on the creature. "What is it?" The creature demanded in a growl as some of the bandages fell to the floor and it kept unwrapping more. "What is it?"

"I don't know!" He screamed in frustration as he covered his ears and clenched his eyes shut. Then realisation hit. He opened his eyes and slowly lowered his hands.

"What is it, Stiles?" The creature asked in a whisper, knowing he had figured it out.

"A shadow."

He turned around just in time to see the creature unwrap the last of the bandages and reveal his own face staring back at him. Then he saw himself smirk.

Inside the tube, the Nogitsune opened Stiles' eyes. It slowly turned his head as the lights flickered.

In the observation room, John, Melissa, and the doctor were startled by all of the lights flickering, occasionally plunging the room into darkness for a second at a time until they returned to normal.

"What was that?" Melissa wondered aloud as she looked around the room.

"It sounded like a power surge." The doctor answered, but John was too distracted to comment on that. He had a far more pressing question on his mind.

"Where's my son?" John demanded as he leaned on the glass for a better look, but his eyes weren't deceiving him; Stiles was gone.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Up on the roof, Derek and Scott were caught off guard by an explosion of electricity, thanks to the Nogitsune's tampering.

The sparking cable finally snapped and began violently whipping around the rooftop.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

The Nogitsune changed out of the hospital gown and joggers into the clothes and trainers (sneakers) Derek had kindly grabbed from the Jeep for Stiles. It finished typing the shoes, then stood up and made its way through the hospital.

It paused in the hall to watch people run in a panic, then it noticed the elevator doors open at the end of the hall, revealing a familiar woman.

Noshiko Yukimura.

"You know me." She greeted and the Nogitsune nodded. "Then you remember that I won't be deterred by your choice of host. Even if it's an innocent boy."

"Are you threatening us?" The Nogitsune asked with a smirk.

Puffs of black smoke appeared on either side of Noshiko, and two Oni formed.

"Now I'm threatening you." Noshiko corrected.

"We're not really afraid of your little fireflies." The Nogitsune stated, then turned and walked away.

"If the oni can't defeat you, I know someone who will." Noshiko called out, making the Nogitsune freeze and turn Stiles' head to look back at her.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Outside the hospital, Kira had just arrived to check on Stiles and whichever pack members were there when she saw the live wire come tumbling off the roof and down to the ground.

"Oh my God." She exclaimed as the wire grew closer, but it didn't hit the ground, it came swinging right at her and she ducked.

Then all hell broke loose.

An ambulance crashed.

A fire hydrant was destroyed, sending water everywhere.

The paramedic driving the ambulance was electrocuted when he got out of the ambulance and stepped in the puddle caused by the leaking fire hydrant.

Isaac was electrocuted while saving Allison from the ever-growing puddle of electrified water.

A redheaded woman was electrocuted when she stepped out of her car.

A car came barreling at Kira but she ran over it and did an incredible flip.

She landed in the puddle but wasn't electrocuted like everybody else. Instead, she grabbed the cable as the newly arrived Derek and Scott watched in awe, and covered the exposed end with her hand.

She closed her eyes as she felt the power course through her. A pleasant buzz beneath her skin.

Scott and Derek watched in awe, amazed when her eyes opened to reveal glowing orange iris'.

When she absorbed the last of the electricity, her eyes faded back to their natural colour. And not a moment too soon as a crowd rushed out of the hospital, including her mum.

The moment the electricity stopped, Scott and Allison rushed to Isaac, with Derek right behind Scott.

Isaac wasn't breathing.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

After the initial chaos was under control, Derek managed to get John alone in his office at the station.

"I need to talk to you about Stiles." Derek declared.

"We'll find him," John began, assuming Derek wanted to vent about his concern.

"I know, but I want to warn you about what state he'll be in when we do," Derek explained carefully.

"How do you mean?" Stilinski inquired with a frown, knowing that Derek wasn't referring to a dementia episode.

"I don't think he's sick." Derek finally admitted. "I had a theory but I doubted it when you first brought up Frontotemporal Dementia. I believed your theory for a couple hours but I can't deny my original theory anymore. Not after what Chris learned from Katashi."

"You think Stiles is possessed by the Nogitsune?" Stilinski asked for confirmation.

"I do." Derek nodded once, mustering all the confidence he could. "But I don't want to tell everyone else yet, for their safety. I just couldn't let you go on thinking he had the same disease as-"

"Derek," John interjected sternly, rendering the alpha silent. "You have to tell them."

"I can't, it's too dangerous." Derek protested stubbornly.

"It's more dangerous to keep them in the dark," John argued calmly.

"If they think he has dementia, they'll go along with it when he's not acting like himself and earn the creature's trust, then it won't hurt them." Derek insisted, but John didn't buy it for a second.

"Do you really believe that?" John asked. "Or are you just afraid of what will happen if they know it's not really Stiles?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"If they know it's not 100% Stiles in there, they'll fight back." John elaborated with his arms folded. "Can you handle that?"

"They wouldn't hurt Stiles." Derek stated stubbornly while also folding his arms.

"No, they wouldn't hurt Stiles, but they might have to hurt the Nogitsune." John shot back.

"Yeah, when we get it out of him." Derek replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"So you expect them to just stand there and let the Nogitsune hurt them in the meantime?" The sheriff asked rhetorically, making the alpha scowl.

"It won't come to that." Derek insisted stubbornly. "As long as they think it's just a delusion-"

"They'll be vulnerable to its manipulation, and it could kill them." Stilinski finished for the alpha in an authoritative tone. "If it attacks them and they think Stiles is having an episode that'll pass, they won't fight back, and it could get them killed. When we do save Stiles, he'll never forgive himself if someone he loved died at his hand. And if that happens because you didn't warn them about what was really going on, he'll never forgive you either."

"What if they get so caught up in the Nogitsune that they forget Stiles is in there too and hurt him? I would lose it and attack them, and that's probably what the Nogitsune wants. If I end up hurting my own pack…"

"You won't." The sheriff assured the alpha while unfolding his arms and stepping closer. "You've come a long way in the time I've known you, and you can't let what's happening right now set you back. You're smarter than this. You know them better than that. Even at their worst, none of them could ever get past the fact that it's Stiles in there. They'll never give up on saving him, and they'll never truly hurt him."

"It's different now. This isn't like training, where everyone's holding back. If they have to fight Stiles, the thing possessing him won't hold back. It will go for the kill, and I'll be useless to help them because I can't fight my mate."

"And that's the real reason you don't want to tell them." John declared, surprising Derek. "You're afraid of having to fight Stiles, and you think keeping them in the dark will keep the pack from having to. But you know as well as I do that if this thing is going to attack while in Stiles' body, it's gonna do it no matter how long they play along. They'll be safer knowing. Stiles will be safer with them knowing and you know it."

"Not yet." Derek insisted stubbornly while shaking his head.

"You have 48 hours to tell them, or I'll do it for you." John warned. He didn't even want to wait that long, but gave the werewolf some leeway on account of how stressful the situation was.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

John Stilinski was a man on the edge, even Melissa's attempts at comfort weren't enough to keep the tears from pooling in his eyes.

Every second that his son was missing was agony. It had been awful to simply believe that Stiles was suffering from the same disease that had claimed Claudia's life, but now he also had to consider that that theory was all the result of an elaborate prank, set up by a sadistic, evil fox spirit that may be possessing his son.

He always tried to roll with the punches, to go along with the craziness in their town in order to protect people from it. He could deal with werewolves, kanimas, pixies, darachs, werecoyotes, and kitsunes, he could. It was a weird messed up fairytale, but he could deal with it. Because he had a way to defend people against all of those threats. He had no way to save his son from possession, or dementia, and it was debilitating.

The pack arguing only made it worse.

"You knew!" Cora yelled at her brother, her eyes glowing as her anger got the best of her. "We were all terrified, thinking he was going to die of dementia and you knew the whole time that he wasn't even sick."

"It's not actually the dementia that kills, it-" Lydia began to explain but cut herself off when she realised that it wasn't important at that moment. "Nevermind."

"I didn't know for sure," Derek defended. "I was scared that John was right."

"But you suspected that he was possessed and you didn't tell us." Cora growled.

"My dad has a concussion and a broken nose because you didn't say anything." Erica added angrily. "Isaac is in a coma because you didn't say anything!"

"What happened to Isaac isn't his fault." Scott stated sternly. "The only one to blame is the Nogitsune."

"The Nogitsune he didn't tell us about!" Cora shouted angrily. "He knew before the meeting with Katashi and wasted time with that bullshit deal. If you knew Stiles was possessed when he showed up at school, maybe he wouldn't have gotten away. How are you not angry about that?"

Scott looked down at the ground.

"You already knew." Erica realised, feeling betrayed. "Derek told you."

"Yes, I did, and I ordered him not to tell the rest of you." Derek admitted calmly, expertly hiding his remorse. "Don't be mad at him, be mad at me."

"You trust him more than you trust me?" Cora gasped.

"This isn't about trust." Derek corrected. "I thought it was the best way to buy more time to figure out how to get the Nogitsune out of Stiles. I needed help so I told Scott, Lydia, Allison, and Isaac, but I didn't want to tell anybody. I even asked mum before I went to them. I was hoping I could figure out how to save him before you ever had to know he was in danger. Then John announced his theory and I doubted everything. I was wrong, I see that now, but at the time I thought it was the right thing to do and I stand by it."

"You were wrong? Isaac is in the hospital and all you can say is that you were wrong?" Jackson hissed. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"That's not his fault," Scott reiterated. "It's the Nogitsune and it's trying to turn us against each other."

"Derek's doing that all on his own." Jackson declared with a dark glare.

"No, he's not." Cora reluctantly growled. "I'm pissed and I'm not letting this go any time soon, but I'm not going to let it tear our pack apart over this, and neither should you."

"Seriously?"

"She's right." Boyd stated, drawing all eyes to him. "If Lydia was the one possessed, would you really tell us the second you found out? Or would you do whatever it takes to protect her, even from us?"

"Stiles doesn't need protecting from us, we're the ones who protect him." Jackson retorted stubbornly.

"Normally yes, but can you honestly say you'll keep holding back when you know it's the Nogitsune in front of you, not Stiles?" Lydia asked him gently and Jackson's resolve wavered.

"You need to be prepared to fight it while it looks like Stiles, I know that now, but I didn't want to accept it." Derek explained.

"You can't keep secrets anymore." Boyd stated, and Derek nodded.

"I won't. I promise." The alpha vowed with a steady heart.

"Good." Cora lifted her head high. "Now tell us everything you know."

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Scott felt like he was stuck in a nightmare that he couldn't wake up from as he laid in bed.

He hadn't slept, his mind full of images from that night as they wheeled his burned mate on a stretcher into urgent care.

Around the time he heard Noshiko tell Kira that she saw what she did and that nobody else should before getting her out of there, but he didn't have the presence of mind to assist her in that moment.

He had actually been relieved that there was one less person to worry about.

He thought back to how he heard Parrish say that Stiles' Jeep was seen leaving the hospital, and John replied that somebody needed to find him, but he couldn't bring himself to go volunteer. Every fibre of his being longed to go out there because there was nothing he could do for Isaac, but his body wouldn't move.

He remembered hearing his dad say it looked like the cable had been cut, then he told whoever to be on the lookout for more signs of sabotage, but he had been too distracted to go back out there and say something.

He forced himself off his stomach and sat on the edge of his bed but the memories kept coming.

He forced himself out of bed and down the stairs, and found his mum sitting at the kitchen table with a mug in her hands.

"Any news?" Scott asked, his expectations low.

"They're still looking for him." Melissa answered with her eyes locked on her mug. "It's past the 48 hour mark, but I guess if anyone's gonna be missing for two days and turn up just fine, it's Stiles."

"What about Isaac?" He asked and Melissa stood up.

"Maybe we should go to the hospital before school." She suggested.

Scott eagerly agreed.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

From: Stiles
Message: Am ok. Please don't look for me. Be back soon.

John stated at that message for a long time. Derek had gotten a similar one, but neither were comforted by it. It only served to make them both more worried.

John was staring at the text for what felt like the millionth time when the door to his office opened.

"Sheriff?" Parrish called out as he poked his head into the man's office.

"Yeah." John mumbled as he set down his phone.

Parrish walked into the room, revealing a man hovering behind him in the hallway.

"He just needs your signature." Parrish explained as the man in question followed him inside, carrying a few boxes. "It's just printer cartridges and stuff. Batteries for the next blackout." He continued as the delivery man set the boxes down on John's desk and offered him a clipboard. John stood up to sign it. "Not a bad idea, considering the number of electrical problems in this town."

John looked at him but didn't respond, which concerned Parrish but before the deputy could comment, somebody else knocked on the other door.

"I know you're a bit preoccupied at the moment." McCall stated in lieu of a greeting.

John beckoned him over, and Parrish politely left to show the delivery driver out.

"What is it?"

"This might sound strange, but have you had any issues with yakuza?" McCall asked.

"Japanese Mafia?" John asked incredulously.

"Specifically, a guy named Katashi." McCall added, and John wanted to scream. As if he didn't have enough on his plate already.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

At the hospital, Scott and Melissa stepped off the elevator and were surprised to find Allison asleep on a chair in the hallway.

Scott reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, startling her awake. Her eyes were wide and alert at first, then she saw his face and relaxed, but she couldn't bring herself to smile. Not when Isaac was hurt and out of reach.

"Have you been here all night?" Scott asked, a little jealous of that fact even before he knew it was one.

"Yeah," She confirmed with a nod as she sat up.

"Your parents let you do that?" Melissa asked in surprise.

"Yeah, well, I threatened to move out again if they tried taking me home," Allison admitted with a shrug.

"Have you been in yet?" Scott asked while nodding towards the room Isaac was being kept in.

"No, they won't let me see him because I'm not family." Allison sighed. "I told them he doesn't have any."

"He's got us." Melissa corrected, but that wasn't much comfort to the two teens. Her next words, however, perked them both up. "And I've got a key card."

Allison and Scott held hands for comfort as Melissa unlocked the door, revealing their injured mate.

"Be quick." Melissa ordered gently.

The sound of the machine beeping steadily was both upsetting and comforting, but the pair were able to tune it out as they approached their mate.

As the doors closed behind them, Allison had to stop and collect herself, and squeezed Scott's hand for comfort. They shared a smile then moved closer until they were by Isaac's side.

"I thought he'd be healing by now." Allison commented as they came to a stop.

"So did I." Scott admitted gruffly, trying to keep his emotions at bay and be strong for his mate.

Scott reached out and grasped Isaac's arm, gentle but firm.

"Is he in pain?" Allison asked and Scott nodded.

Scott focused and, within seconds, black veins appeared on his arm.

Isaac stirred and gasped in relief, momentarily freed from the pain, but remained unconscious as his body tried to heal itself.

Scott took his pain until he couldn't anymore, gasping in agony as his mate's pain became his.

Allison watched in dismay, wishing there was a way for her to help both of her mates.

"It won't heal him, but it helps with the pain."

"Did Stiles really do this?" Allison asked suddenly, still unable to wrap her head around it. She needed someone or something to blame for what happened to Isaac but her brain couldn't accept the truth.

"Whatever's controlling him did it." Scott corrected, slightly afraid that Allison wouldn't be able to separate the two now that their mate was hurt. "Whatever's inside him."

"Well, then how do we get whatever's inside of him the hell out of him?" She demanded, eager to kill the Nogitsune for what it did.

"I'm working on it."

"Have Lydia or Derek made any progress?"

"I don't know, I haven't really talked to them. Or anyone except you. I'm having a hard time focusing on anyone other than Isaac or Stiles right now." Scott confessed and Allison squeezed his hand, prompting him to look at her.

"I get it. How can I help?"

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Scott approached Kira at school and asked her about the Nogitsune and what it could possibly want.

Kira sighed.

"The thing is, in all of the stories, kitsune are tricksters." She explained. "They're mischievous. They don't really get caught up in right or wrong, or even understand it."

"What's that mean? It's just doing this for the hell of it?" Scott asked warily. That possibility was even more unsettling.

"No, there was something else I found." Kira corrected with a shake of her head. "If you somehow offend a Nogitsune, it can react pretty badly."

"How do you offend a Nogitsune?" Scott asked with a concerned frown.

"I don't know." Kira confessed. "But if it's doing something this bad, then someone really, really offended it."

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

In the locker room, Coach blew his whistle to get the attention of the guys changing.

"Listen up! Anybody catches the slightest glimpse of Stilinski, you contact the first available teacher. Got it?" He asked, but the team seemed to think it was a rhetorical question so he was forced to repeat himself in a shout. "Got it?"

"Yes, Coach." The morons finally chorused, so he didn't have to repeat himself again.

"There's a card on my desk for Isaac Lahey, and every one of you losers is not only going to sign it, you're going to write a personal message so profound and deep, it's gonna bring a tear to Coach's eye." He informed them, gesturing with his pen for emphasis. "Who's first?" He asked and Danny immediately stood up and took the pen from Coach, hoping his doing so would encourage everyone else. "Ah, Danny! That's how you do it, buddy. Keep it PG."

Jackson and Boyd were on their feet too, which prompted the rest of the team to get up and form a queue behind them.

"That's what I like to see!" Coach cheered.

On the other side of the lockers, Scott, Ethan, and Aidan were having a quiet conversation.

"No Stiles, no demonic ninjas." Ethan informed Scott.

"Things are getting too quiet." Aidan added.

"Yeah, I know." Scott nodded. "Yeah, it's making me nervous, too."

"Do you guys hear that?" Ethan asked with a frown.

"It's an emitter." Scott declared, recognising the sound immediately. "One of Argent's."

The three of them left the locker room after convincing Jackson and Boyd to stay and protect Danny in case it was a trap.

"It's coming from the basement." Ethan declared.

They followed the sound down there, where they found a familiar figure.

The figure turned around and it looked like Stiles, but Scott wasn't sure who was in control until 'Stiles' spoke.

"Okay, I know what you guys are thinking, but it's me. I swear to God, it's me." Stiles insisted as he held up the emitter that was still turned on.

The twins immediately started growling as they charged at him.

They worked together to lift Stiles by his collar and pin him against a locker.

"Wait, stop!" Scott yelled as he grabbed Ethan and threw him across the room. "I said, stop!" He tried again, and Aidan dropped Stiles in favour of turning to growl at Scott in warning, his eyes glowing and his face shifting as he did so.

Scott let his wolf teeth show, made his eyes glow amber, and roared right back.

It wasn't often that Scott got aggressive like that, and the pack knew he meant business when he did, so Aidan yielded.

"It's me, Scott. I swear it's me." Stiles insisted when Scott looked at him. Scott wasn't fully convinced but his gut told him to go along with it, so he did. "I don't know where I've been the last two days or what I've been doing, but this is me. I promise."

"You know what happened at the hospital?" Ethan demanded as he rose to his feet.

"I know more than that." Stiles replied, then moved away from Scott and walked over to a bag. He crouched down and pulled out a folded piece of paper for the three of them to see. "You see this? It's a blueprint of the hospital's electrical wiring." He explained as he unfolded the paper. "You see all these markings in red? That's my handwriting. I know I did this. I caused the accident. And everything in this bag, it's all stuff that could be part of something bigger."

Ethan and Scott crouched down to get a better look at the contents of the bag, while Aidan kept a safe distance.

"What the hell have you been up to?" Ethan asked as he held up a power tool with a rather sharp blade attached.

"I think something worse." Stiles told him while sporting a worried look. "A lot worse."

Aidan picked up the bag and carried it to a table, prompting the other three to follow him.

The twins pulled duct tape, rope, and a lot of other ominous items out of the bag, and grew increasingly concerned with every new item.

"What the hell were you doing? Building a Terminator?" Ethan asked incredulously.

"Thank you for that." Stiles drawled sarcastically.

"Guys, this is a map." Scott pointed out.

"Isn't that the cross country trail?" Aidan asked, concerned because a few of their pack mates were about to run that exact trail with a bunch of their classmates, and had already set off to get there.

"That's the Tate car." Scott declared as he pointed at a spot on the map. "Where Malia's family died."

"You mean that's where her father put the steel-jawed traps." 'Stiles' declared. Scott looked at him in horror, realising what 'Stiles' was thinking.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

At the trail, the cross country team had gotten off the school bus and got into position.

Coach was there with roughly thirty students, including Kira, Danny, Erica, Boyd, and Jackson.

Coach blew his whistle and the team took off in a sprint.

Danny started out in the lead (because the wolves always held back) but then Kira came weaving through the crowd and overtook him.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

The elevator bell dinged as the doors opened and Chris got off. He approached the apartment door, only to draw his gun when he noticed that the door was agape.

He held his gun steady as he approached the door, staying vigilant as he entered the apartment.

He made his way to his study and saw an emitter stabbed into his desk, standing at an angle.

Chris looked behind the door before entering, but only made it a few steps into the room when he was startled by a familiar voice.

"Lose something?" Derek asked as Chris turned in surprise.

Chris lowered his weapon and scowled.

"Why are you breaking into my apartment?" The Hunter demanded.

"Why are you leaving emitters in my house?" Derek retorted gruffly.

"I have no idea why that would be in your house." Chris told him honestly, then turned and made his way to the desk. "I spent the entirety of the last two days trying to find Stiles."

"Any luck?"

"No."

"Me either." Derek muttered. "Okay, we're both trying to find Stiles. Mind if I ask what you planned on doing if you find him?"

"Well, that depends on which Stiles I find." Chris told him honestly before pulling the emitter out of his desk. There was no point in trying to lie to a werewolf.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

The Jeep skidded to a stop at the preserve, the wheels squeaking loudly as it did, which startled Coach.

He stood up from the rock he was sitting on and looked just in time to see Stiles, Scott, Ethan, and Aidan get out of the vehicle.

"Coach!" Stiles called out as he ran over to the man.

"Stilinski." Coach called back in surprise, unsure if he should be relieved or concerned by the sight of the missing student.

"Coach, listen close."

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

"Broken." Chris announced as he examined the cabinet door. He opened it to reveal a silver case. "This isn't mine." He declared. Derek reached for the case but Chris stopped him. "Be careful."

Chris checked for trip wires or triggers before picking it up and carrying it to his desk. He opened it, revealing stacks of money. Chris immediately realised what it was and threw his head back in frustration.

"How much do you think that is?" Derek asked.

"150,000. But it doesn't make sense. We never took the money."

"From the gun deal?" Derek asked for confirmation and Chris nodded. "So that means-"

"It's Katashi's money." Chris confirmed.

"If I remember correctly, he has a nickname." Derek commented.

"You mean something like…" A familiar voice called out, and the pair looked in unison to see Agent McCall walk in, flanked by armed cops. He then held up an evidence bag containing Katashi's finger. "Silverfinger?"

"Where did you get that?" Chris demanded.

"Off Katashi's dead body." McCall answered, and Derek and Chris immediately knew that they were in trouble.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Danny was sprinting at full speed, trying to catch up to Kira, when he was tackled by Ethan.

"What the hell are you doing?" Danny demanded as he glared up at the wolf on top of him.

"There are traps set up somewhere here." Ethan explained quickly.

"What? Who would-?" Danny began to ask.

"No time to explain." Ethan interjected as he kept to his feet, then reached out to help Danny up.

Up ahead, Kira was running with a smile on her face when she was suddenly stopped by Scott.

She let out a little scream as he grabbed her and spun her around, so he wouldn't hurt her when he stopped her, but quickly calmed down when she realised it was him.

"Oh, my God. Did you see how fast I was running?" She asked excitedly.

"I felt it. But we need to stop the others." Scott told her sternly.

"Why?" She asked in concern.

"Scott!" Stilles called out as he came running up to them with Aidan and Coach behind them.

"Stop, stop, stop! Everyone, stop!" Stiles yelled as the rest of the cross country team approached.

Once everyone was still, Stiles leaned down and brushed aside some leaves, revealing a large metal ring. Said ring was attached to a long, thick chain

Stiles followed the length of the chain only to find another ring at the end.

Coach began slow clapping.

"Congratulations, Stilinski. You found a length of chain." The man drawled sarcastically.

Scott looked at Stiles, Stiles looked confused, and Scott began to believe it really was Stiles in front of him.

"Can somebody now please tell me what the hell's going on?" Coach asked as he stepped forward, unknowingly catching his foot on a trip wire.

"Hey, Coach!" Scott called out in warning, but it was too late.

The trap was sprung and an arrow was shot into the centre of Coach's chest.

There was a moment of silence as everyone stared in shock.

"Oh, crap." Coach whispered, then fell backwards. The teens immediately crowded around him.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

"Where's Derek?" Lydia demanded as she strode into the Hale living room.

"He went to talk to Chris about the emitter he found in his closet."

"In the closet?" Lydia repeated with a deep frown. "Why would Chris put an emitter there? Or anywhere in the house?"

"That's what Derek went to find out."

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

As soon as the initial shock wore off and reality set in, Coach started screaming. "Get it out of me! Get it out of me. Get it out of me. Oh, my God, I'm gonna die. Get it out of me! I'm gonna die!"

"Coach, Coach, you're not gonna die." Stiles told him.

"I'm gonna die!" Coach screamed.

"It will hurt less if you stop moving, Coach." Aidan tried telling him, but Coach just kept screaming.

"Get that thing out of me!"

"Stay still, Coach. An ambulance is coming." Aidan tried again.

"Get it out! I'm gonna die!"

"Get back! Get back! Give him some room! Get back!" Aidan ordered, and everyone who wasn't in the pack obeyed. Ethan, Danny, Boyd, Jackson, Erica, and Kira strategically placed themselves between the rest of the team and Coach, Scott, Stiles, and Aidan.

Scott grasped Coach's hand and took his pain as Stiles put pressure on the wound.

"I think he just passed out." Aidan told Scott when Coach went limp.

'Stiles' took his hands off and looked at the blood covering them. Rather than relishing in it, the Nogitsune acted like a scared human. "I could have killed him. I could have killed him, right? What if it was his head or his throat?"

"But it wasn't." Scott assured him, more convinced than ever that it was the real Stiles. "And he's going to be alright."

"I think I just heard an ambulance coming." Aiden announced, just as sirens grew close enough to be heard by humans.

"And my dad." Stiles declared with a grimace.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

At the Sheriff's station, Derek and Chris were sitting side by side, both handcuffed to the bench.

"So, I don't suppose you have any idea why Stiles would frame us for murder?" Chris asked the alpha.

"You? About seven different reasons. But me?" Derek joked with a straight face, earning him an unimpressed look from the Hunter.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely convinced that's why we're here." Chris admitted.

"What do you mean?" Derek prompted.

"McCall is going to come out here any minute and probably talk attorneys. Say you've agreed to allow mine to represent you."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not calling my attorney yet. I just want more time."

"To do what?"

"To figure out what we're really doing here." Chris answered.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Stiles and John hugged as Coach was put in the ambulance, and Scott watched on.

"Scott, you better look at this." Ethan called out. Scott followed his voice to the boot of Stiles' Jeep, where Ethan showed Scott a roll of wrapping paper.

"This is the same wrapping paper we used for Coach's birthday present." Scott realised.

"Wasn't that William Barrow's thing?" Ethan prompted. "A bomb made from nails and bolts all wrapped in a birthday present? Where did it go off?"

Scott looked back at Stiles, who was still talking to his dad, seemingly without a care in the world.

"On a school bus."

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

"Out of the way! Out of the way!" Mr Yukimura yelled at students as he ran towards the school buses. "Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Move! Everyone back!"

He kept on yelling as the students were ushered off the buses and evacuated from the area.

Once the path was clear, the teacher stepped onto the bus and looked at the poor unfortunate student who remained.

"They told me not to move." Jared stated as the man slowly made his way down the aisle of the bus.

"Jared, right?" Mr Yukimura asked for confirmation.

"They told me not to move. They said, 'Stay right where you are and don't move a muscle'." Jared told him, clearly terrified.

"It's all right."

"I didn't know what it was when I picked it up." Jared said shakily. "I didn't know."

"It's all right, Jared. I'm just going to take a look, all right?" He asked and the teen nodded, so Ken grew closer until he could see the neatly wrapped box in the same paper as Coach's present, tied up in neat blue ribbon.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

"This is getting out of control," Jackson stated.

"You think we don't know that?" Erica snapped as she flashed her eyes at him. "Arrows, bombs, possession-"

"Keep your voice down." Jackson hissed angrily. "What if Stiles hears you?"

Scott and Stile were talking by the Jeep, while the rest of them were by the school bus.

"He's the one telling us he's the bad guy," Erica retorted.

"Yes, but he's never once said he's possessed, he wants us to think it's part of the dementia." Jackson shot back in a whisper. "So play along."

"Why? So we can end up impaled too?" Boyd asked rhetorically.

"No, so we don't end up impaled." Jackson corrected quietly, earning him curious looks from Erica, Boyd, Kira, Danny, and the twins. "He's leading us to the traps right? Some of them, at least. He wants us to see him upset and scared so we'll trust him."

"What if he only wants us to trust him so he can lead us into a bigger trap later?" Erica retorted.

"What if this is the real Stiles breaking through and helping us?" Danny chimed in. "Jackson's right, we need to go along with this. Best case scenario, it's Stiles helping us so the creature can gain our trust. Worst case, we're heading into a trap we know is coming and can prepare for."

"Exactly." Jackson stated gratefully.

"Fine." Erica huffed. "But if we die, I'll kill you."

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

"Get him out of here! Back those kids up! Move!" John ordered as he and Parrish jogged to the cruiser, then he opened the boot. "We wait for the bomb squad." He told the deputy sternly.

"I'm a certified HDT. Two years in the army." Parrish reminded the sheriff as he grabbed what he needed from the car. "I can at least find out if this thing's real."

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

"I could easily get out of these, you know." Derek informed Chris while examining the handcuffs.

"So could I, but I'm not interested in being a fugitive from the law." Chris stated dryly.

"Well, I'm not interested in being a victim to my mate possessed by a psychotic fox." Derek replied. "Or losing my job over something I didn't do."

"Just give me a few more minutes." Chris requested, but Derek kept fidgeting with the cuff. "Derek!"

The alpha sighed.

"Fine." Derek huffed. "If something happens, don't expect me to risk my life trying to save yours."

Chris knew the hostility came from admitting he was prepared to fight 'Stiles' and wisely didn't comment. He knew that the alpha would calm down on his own if given the chance, but trying to push him would only fuel his anger.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Kira walked into the school just in time to see her father approach a door.

"Close the door." She heard her mother's voice order, then she watched her dad enter the room and closed the door behind him as he was told. She let her curiosity take over and moved closer to eavesdrop.

"You hid them in a book?" Noshiko demanded when her husband picked up a large book off of the shelf and carried it to a desk. "Couldn't you find something more secure?"

"How many high school students do you know who would willingly open a book?" Ken retorted with a chuckle.

"You still haven't talked to Kira, have you?" He asked, oblivious to their daughter watching through the little window in the door.

"Barely a word since the hospital."

"You need to tell her. Especially about this." Ken advised as he looked down at the book. He then opened the book to reveal the eight cut out slots where her tails lie. Those that remained, at least. "You've already sacrificed five. Three of the oni are gone. How many more tails are you willing to sacrifice?"

"If I have to? All of them." Noshiko informed him without hesitation.

Kira was awed by what she heard.

Noshiko picked up a tail and broke it, making her husband flinch.

She then picked up another and broke it too. Ken flinched again.

"These Oni will be stronger." Noshiko declared. "Much stronger."

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

On the school bus, Parrish approached Jared with a pair of scissors.

"Jared, it will be very helpful if you could resist throwing up on the potential explosive device." Parrish explained in his calm-yet-firm cop voice. "Hey, can you do that for me?"

"I think so." Jared replied shakily as he watched Parrish move the scissors. "You... You look really…"

"Handsome? Thank you." Parrish interjected as he carefully slid the scissors towards the ribbon. "For a second there, I thought you were going to say I look really young and I was gonna have to launch into my explanation about how I'm actually 24 and that anyone can look young if they eat right and exercise. Although it's probably just good genes anyway, right?" He asked rhetorically, then cut the ribbon without taking his eyes off of Jared.

Jared gasped and flinched away when the ribbon was cut, but there was no explosion.

Parrish slowly slid the lid off of the box as Jared watched nervously.

"Huh."

John was waiting outside the bus when the radio on his uniform sounded.

"It's not a bomb, sir, but there is something in the box." Parrish's voice declared over the radio, loud enough for the bystanders closest (and the werewolves) to hear.

John and the crowd watched as Parrish made his way to the back of the bus and pressed the name plate from the sheriff's desk against the glass.

John's mind worked quickly, remembering the delivery earlier that day.

"My God." The sheriff whispered to himself. "There is a bomb, but not here."

He had to call it in.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

When the call came in at the station, all the deputies began running around in a panic.

Cordova rushed over and undid Chris' cuffs.

"What's happening?" The Hunter demanded, but the deputy didn't answer, so he turned to Derek.

Derek looked around and let his heightened sense take over. He barely even registered his own cuffs being taken off. The world seemed to slow around him as he honed in on the glass behind him.

"What's happening?" He heard Chris ask, but his attention was on something else. Peering through the gaps in the blinds, he saw a box on the sheriff's desk and immediately knew that the box was bad news.

"Get down!" Derek yelled as the world returned to normal. He then threw himself over Chris protectively, just as the bomb went off and glass rained over him.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

At the nemeton, a swarm of fireflies emerged from the tree stump.

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

"Get me an ambulance here, at the sheriff's station. We've got an explosion. We got multiple officers down. Multiple officers down." John called in as Stiles and Scott helped him check on those injured. "We need an ambulance A.S.A.P. On the double."

"Scott? Scott?" Stiles called out, and Scott followed his voice to find a deputy bleeding from his mouth and writhing in pain.

The man clearly needed help but Scott couldn't help but be suspicious of the fact that Stiles was focused on a random deputy when he could smell Derek's blood from across the room.

"Derek. Derek." Chris called out in concern as he helped the alpha up.

"I'm okay." Derek insisted despite the pain in his back, courtesy of the glass fragments sticking out of him. "I'm okay, I'm okay."

"You saved my life." Chris told him.

"Does that mean you'll help me save my mate's?" Derek asked woozily as he wobbled on his feet.

"That was never a question, Derek."

Scott heard their conversation, but didn't hear Chris' response thanks to Stiles.

"Can you do something? Take his pain? Anything to make it easier?" Stiles asked, and Scott did exactly that until he couldn't take it anymore.

The pain of a dying man was too much. All that pain; Isaac's, Coach's, and now the deputy's. It was too much for Scott.

Suddenly, the sheriff was yelling and he couldn't take the time to process it. He had to move.

He stammered to his feet and grabbed Stiles. He tried to get him out of there but Stiles kept resisting. Then Kira came running in.

"The oni. They're coming." Kira warned them.

"Stiles, we gotta get you out of here."

It wasn't long until the three of them were in the Jeep, driving to someplace safe.

"It's an animal clinic?" Kira asked for confirmation.

"Yeah, the place is lined with mountain ash. Just like my house." Scott informed her. "It will buy us some time."

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

"Eventually."

"Nobody's got any better ideas?" Stiles asked, unable to hide his frustration. Scott just stared at him. "Okay, sure. Animal clinic."

The plan was to get in the Hale House, but that could wait. It might even be more fun to enact that plan later than scheduled.

Scott didn't suggest the house because he now knew he'd been wrong all day. That wasn't Stiles. The real Stiles would have checked on Derek and forced him to go to the hospital. So, no, Scott wasn't going to willingly waltz him into the pack house.

As they arrived at the animal clinic, so did the Oni.

"Stiles, get inside." Scott ordered as he tossed Stiles the keys, then he charged at the Oni and fought them off.

"Hey, Kira, get inside! Kira!" Stiles called out to the girl who was distracted watching the fight.

Then she joined it.

She started throwing animal carries at the creatures as the rain poured down on them.

Then, when she ran out of things to throw, she found out that she was pretty good at hand to hand fighting. Very good, in fact. She grabbed a pipe and held her own against the Oni.

Scott was fighting well for a while too, until one of the Oni managed to stab him.

Kira screamed and ran over, kicking the Oni away from the werewolf.

"All right, come on. Get him inside! Get him inside!" Stiles yelled as he ran over and helped Kira get Scott up. The pair worked together to get him inside, and Stiles shut the door behind them.

They got Scott to the examination room, and he leaned against the table for support as he inspected the sword in his abdomen.

Scott groaned in pain and sent Kira a look. One she immediately understood.

She grasped the sword in both hands and moved to pull it out, only to be stopped by Stiles. He grabbed her wrist and twisted it.

She gasped in pain and let go of the sword, but Stiles didn't let go of her. He reached up with his other hand and slammed her head against the metal table, rendering her unconscious.

He let her drop to the ground and turned his attention to Scott. He approached and tauntingly danced his fingers along the hilt of the sword sticking out of him.

"You okay?"

"Please don't. Stop." Scott pleaded, feeling a fear unlike any other as he looked into Stiles' eyes and saw no hint of his best friend. Stiles was gone and he had no idea what the creature was about to do to him.

"It's okay." 'Stiles' stated softly, then grasped the sword. He tugged, acting as though he were about to pull it out. He placed his free hand on Scott's shoulder and sent him a reassuring look, then finally dropped the act and twisted the blade.

Scott cried out in pain and tried to defend himself, but the twisting of the blade made him spasm in pain and made it impossible to fight back.

"Does it hurt? Hey, look at me. You should have done your reading, Scott." 'Stiles taunted as he kept twisting the blade, making Scott cry out again. "See, a Nogitsune feeds off chaos, strife and pain. Last night, you took it from Mr Reyes. This morning, you took it from Isaac, then you took it from Coach. And then from a dying deputy. All that pain. You took it all." It moved Stiles' hand from Scott's shoulder to his face. "Now, give it to me."

Scott gasped out as the creature fed from him, the dark veins appearing on both of them as the Nogitsune took it all.

After feeding on every last drop, the creature gasped in ecstacy and grinned.

"You really have to learn, Scott. You really have to learn not to trust a fox. Mmm-mmm. Know why? 'Cause they're tricksters. They'll fool you." The Nogitsune bragged with a smile. "They'll fool everyone."

Then, Deaton arrived.

"Not everyone." The druid corrected. When 'Stiles' looked at him, he lifted the syringe gun and jammed it in Stiles' neck.

The Nogitsune shook and collapsed to the ground.

Deaton turned to Scott and silently pulled the sword out.

Scott let out one final groan, then it was gone and his body was free to repair itself. It would take an hour or so, but he could already feel it starting, so that was something.

"What was that?" Scott asked. "Was that a cure? Is he okay?"

"The fox is poisoned. But it's not dead. Not yet."

-Teen Wolf-Sterek-Teen Wolf-Sterek-

Lydia was in the library in the bunker, going over everything Stiles had left for them, when Cora and Allison came in.

"Hey, they just brought Stiles back, he's unconscious but Derek's letting us see him in turns. I'm heading back to the hospital to check on Isaac, but I wanted to check on you first." Allison stated, but Lydia didn't look at her.

"I know where I went wrong." Lydia announced as she picked up a piece of paper.

"What do you mean?" The two brunettes asked in unison.

"The other night, when I followed the voices to Eichen House while McCall and Melissa found Stiles in the woods." Lydia explained without taking her eyes off the paper in her hand.

"So, what happened?" Cora prompted.

"I focused on my powers when I should have been looking at the evidence. He laid it all out for me but I ignored it in favour of listening to the voices, but it's all right here. The sabotage at the hospital. The map of the trail, plans for rigging the trip wire to the crossbow. He wrote out the diversion plan, left blueprints for the station, and plans for the bomb. But I didn't even look at it. I was never supposed to find Stiles, I was supposed to follow the evidence and dismantle the traps. People are dead because I got it wrong. Isaac's in the hospital because of me."

"It's not your fault, it's the Nogitsune's." Allison corrected gently.

"That looks like more than three plans," Cora commented while glancing pointedly at the papers on the table.

"There are more." Lydia confirmed sourly. "A lot more."

A/N: What? Nothing for 3 or 4 years, then two in the same month? I'm not going to jinx it by promising anything, I'm just posting before I overthink it and sit on this chapter for 4 more years. Sorry it's not the most creative chapter, I contemplated just brushing over these two episodes and only including the original scenes but it didn't flow right so I wrote out the actual scenes. I hope it's enjoyable anyway.