Forty-Two

"I DIDN'T EXPECT TO SEE YOU HERE."

Sierra glanced up from the book she was reading, her feet perched on the row of bleachers in front of her. After fighting with Scott, staying inside wasn't an option.

She wasn't in the mood to see him, Theo, or even Stiles for that matter.

So, she decided to skip her second period and enjoy a sunny morning in the lacrosse field stands. The fresh air helped keep her at peace.

Sierra offered a small smile at seeing Mason. "I just needed to not be in a classroom today," she shrugged in reply. Her blue eyes flickered to the werewolf standing beside him. "Hey, Brett."

"Hey, Sierra," Brett returned the greeting.

"What're you doing here?" she asked, tilting her head. "Don't you have school today?"

"I do, but I came here with Mason to talk about potential chimeras," he answered.

Mason nodded and then motioned to the lacrosse field. "We figured here would be perfect because Liam wanted to work on some shots while we talked."

Sierra followed his gaze, now noticing Liam setting up a goal with a teammate. Then she glanced at a few soccer players kicking a ball around, and specifically smiled at the sight of Hayden. Watching those two could get interesting.

"Well, feel free to join me here," she told the boys, choosing to close her book. "Do you guys have any suspects yet?"

"No, not yet," Mason sighed and took a seat beside her. Brett sat on his right. "Scott said to look for abnormal behavior, but I don't really know what that means."

"Yeah, a lot of people at Devenford act abnormal to me," Brett agreed.

Sierra shook her head at their comments, but tiredly cracked a grin. "Just think of what we've already seen, guys. You're thinking too hard."

"There's heightened strength," Mason recalled, listing on his fingers, "smell, hearing, speed..."

"An ability to see in the dark," Brett added.

"Glowing eyes," Mason nodded.

"Eyes that reflect the light."

Mason thought of Lucas and scrunched his nose. "Visible scorpion stingers protruding out of limbs."

Brett snorted, "Yeah, or a three-foot lizard tails."

Mason chuckled while Sierra forced a smile.

Her eyes flickered back to the lacrosse field to watch two of her favorite sophomores, but then she raised her eyebrows.

Hayden and Liam seemed to be in some sort of competition, though they played different sports. They took turns shooting their shoots, offering challenging smirks to the other when the ball--soccer or lacrosse--successfully flew into the goal.

Except, on Liam's last shot he used too much strength. As the ball whizzed by, the sheer force made the goalie stumble onto his back.

Liam winced. "Sorry!"

"What's going on with those two?" Brett wondered aloud, making Sierra tear her gaze away.

"I'd like to know too," she said. "Liam promised to tell me, but never did."

Mason laughed, but happily replied with two simple words. "Sixth grade." When Sierra looked puzzled, he explained further. "It wasn't the best year for Liam's anger management issues."

Sierra glanced to the field to see Liam helping up his teammate, while Mason dug out his phone from his pocket and held it out to her and Brett. "There was uh, this fight in the hallways--Liam and this other guy. Hayden sort of accidentally walked into it and... well, this was her yearbook photo."

Sierra's eyes widened as Brett whistled. "Oh, dang."

A smaller version of Hayden was grimacing in the colorless image, a band-aid pasted on her nose and her eyes rung black and blue.

Brett joked, "What'd she do to him?"

He wasn't expecting Mason to show him and Sierra another photo. This time it was Liam: a busted lower lip and a band-aid on his nose to match Hayden's.

Sierra couldn't help but chuckle, covering her mouth with her hand. "I know I shouldn't laugh, but dang. I always knew Hayden could throw a punch."

Mason and Brett agreed.

The three of them were amused at how Hayden and Liam were still at odds all these years later. Hayden was definitely good at holding a grudge.

"Does anyone have an inhaler?!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing.

A boy came running from the school building, looking overwhelmed. "Does anyone have asthma? Does anyone have an inhaler?!"

Sierra rose to her feet.

Her gaze flickered to Liam, who met her eyes with a worried frown.

The two only knew one person who had severe asthma.

"Scott?"

*^*^*^*^*^*

Sierra and Liam sprinted through the hallways, the boy clutching the inhaler he had gotten from Scott's lacrosse bag.

No one dared to get in their way.

"I got it! I have his inhaler!" Liam shouted when they reached Mrs. Finch's room. However, too many students crowded around the door.

Sierra huffed. "Get back!" She grabbed the backpack of one student, pulling him back. Then she elbowed her way through, her mind focused on her best friend. "Get out of our way, we have his inhaler!"

The smart ones listened to the senior, and made a path for Sierra and Liam to enter by blocking other kids with their arms.

Sierra saw Mrs. Finch crouched on the ground and rushed over.

Scott hadn't moved an inch, his back collapsed on the side of the desk. His eyes were round, the fear of his vision wafting off of his body like a bad odor. His skin looked flush and Sierra knew at any moment he could easily faint.

"Scott?" Sierra called out to him worriedly as Liam knelt down beside her. He shoved the inhaler in his hands, but Scott barely even noticed. "Scott, come on, breathe!"

His heart pounded in their ears as he choked. Sierra held back the urge to grab his face so he would look at her and desperately tried to get him to listen. "Scott, you need to use your inhaler--Scott!"

Liam grabbed onto the true alpha's shoulder, his line of sight meeting Scott's. Liam's irises swirled amber gold and he narrowed his brows. Sierra blocked the action from the students and Mrs. Finch. "Scott," Liam growled, snapping his teeth together.

And just like that, Scott snapped out of his daze. He gasped, his body lurching forward as reality caught up with him. He tightened his grip around his inhaler and shook it before shoving it into his mouth.

Scott then relaxed, releasing a deep breath. "Thanks," he whispered tiredly to Liam, who offered him a small smile.

Sierra swallowed hard when he refused to glance her way, feeling her insides twist with guilt. Liam noticed the tension and glanced between his two leaders in confusion.

Sierra just sighed and pat Liam on the shoulder, "You got this?"

Liam nodded slowly, still puzzled as she rose to her feet. He watched her go with her eyes directed to the floor, the students creating space to let her leave without a word. Then, he looked back at Scott.

"What happened between you two?" he asked the senior.

"Nothing," Scott brushed off his beta's concern. "It's just been a stressful day, that's all."

Liam didn't believe him, but knew not to press the subject. The last thing he wanted was to set off another asthma or panic attack by accident. However, in his heart he desperately wanted to know the truth.

Seeing Scott and Sierra at odds didn't settle right. The two were a team; smart and unstoppable leaders who worked together. If something could break that bond apart...Liam couldn't help but fear the worst.

*^*^*^*^*^*

During free period, Stiles found Sierra outside.

His thoughts were running wild when she didn't answer any of his texts throughout the morning. Then, she didn't show up in history. He walked through the entire school to try and find her when the bell rang, even searching the pool and gymnasium.

Never once did he think she would be in the garden. But once his light brown eyes landed on her, he understood.

The area had been built as a memorial for every student that had died within the past few years. On that particular sunny day, it seemed more peaceful despite being made from unfortunate circumstances. Different flowers sprung up the ground, dancing with the light breeze. A stone bench was the center point, carving out every student's name--including Allison, Boyd, Erica and many more.

Sierra chose to surround herself with the ones she had lost.

Sierra sat sideways on the bench, her knees pulled to her chest. Her water bottle was forgotten on the ground, beside her backpack. She rested her chin on her forearms as she aimlessly stared forward. When Stiles got closer to her, he noticed tear stains on her cheeks.

He wanted to ask so many questions.

However, he recognized the glassy, far-away stare in her eyes. He knew she wouldn't talk if she was forced to open her mouth.

So he sat. He kept quiet, taking the spot next to her and not saying a word. His fingers itched to hold hers but he forced himself to keep them in his lap.

Sierra almost burst out crying again from his simple action. She chewed harshly on her lower lip to stop the tears from falling. Yet one by one they trickled down, and soon her body shook from her crying. She buried her head in her arms so Stiles couldn't see her.

But she felt him rest his hand on her leg--an attempt at comfort-- and absolutely lost it.

Sierra shifted her feet, lifting her head just enough so he could envelop her body in his arms. He placed one hand at the back of her head, weaving through her hair as he whispered soft sayings in her ear. The other rubbed her back. Stiles felt her tears soak through his shirt and closed his own eyes so he wouldn't join her in crying.

He didn't know what happened and he didn't ask. But he knew the girl he loved was at her breaking point.

Tightening his grip on her, Stiles just let her get out everything she had been holding in.

"I-I can't," she choked out, keeping her head pressed against his shoulder. "I-I can't keep doing this, Stiles."

"You're okay, string bean," he soothed. "I'm right here, you're fine."

"But I'm not," she protested, sitting up slightly. Sierra wiped her eyes with a sniffle. "I, I haven't been sleeping. I mean, I didn't...I wasn't getting much before but then, the Dread, the Dread Doctors..." Her breath got caught in her throat.

Stiles gently held her face in his hands, wiping a stray tear from her cheeks. "Remember to breathe, sweetheart," he reminded, almost in a whisper. "Take your time."

Sierra hiccuped, but nodded her head. She inhaled deeply, trying to get herself calmed down enough to speak. Then she exhaled.

"There you go," Stiles encouraged, offering her a small smile. "Now tell me what happened."

Sierra placed her hands on the sides of her head. She didn't know where to begin. After a moment, she raised her sad eyes, which continued to glisten. The corners of her lips were turned upwards, but Stiles knew it was forced. And for the first time in a while, she allowed him to see how truly helpless she felt inside.

She summed it up in three words: "I haven't slept."

Stiles's face softened.

"And I don't mean that in an oh I'm staying up too late and need a nap kind of way," Sierra shook her head. "I, I mean in a I can physically put my head to a pillow but my anxiety won't let me rest kind of way. Every time I close my eyes I'm scared I won't wake up again. I know it sounds crazy, but...the last time I let myself sleep was after we got home from Mexico."

"Sierra, that was a long time ago," Stiles whispered, his eyebrows drawing together in concern. "How are you still functioning right now?"

"I thought it would pass," Sierra replied and fiddled with her fingers. "I mean, I can take naps, I guess, but I'm always still tired when I wake up. When we went to Eichen House and I passed out in the car? That was for what--three hours, maybe? That's the most I've had in one night in a while."

"Over the summer though," Stiles thought back to where the supernatural drama had come to a halt. "You would sometimes sleep till ten or eleven and you had medicine you got prescribed with Jemma."

"The medicine stopped working a long time ago," Sierra answered, ashamed at how long she had let the issue go on. "And I would stay up late until I physically just passed out. I got my job at the ice cream parlor to cover it up."

"Awe, string bean," Stiles pulled her into another hug. "You could've told me."

Sierra held onto him tightly, breathing in his minty cologne. The familiar scent made her feel safe in his embrace. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, tears gathering in her eyes. "I didn't want you to worry."

She felt his chest vibrate as he forced out a chuckle. "Honey, I'm always going to worry about you." Stiles let go of her waist so he could look at her seriously, and tucked two fingers under her chin. "I love you."

Sierra managed to give him a soft smile, her body relaxing at his words. He leaned forward, his eyes fluttering shut as he pressed a kiss right in the middle of her forehead.

Then, he pulled away and let out a sigh. "Can I...Can I confess something too?"

"Of course you can," Sierra replied, squeezing his hand. "I'm always worried about you too, you know."

"It's just...I feel like there's something different with us," Stiles said, not sure how to word his thoughts. He saw her surprised expression and rushed to fix his mistake. "Not like you and me, string bean. God no. I mean the pack--us, Scott, Lydia...everyone."

Sierra nodded, understanding, and motioned for him to continue.

Stiles sighed. "Something's changed. I mean, we're still all talking and stuff but like it doesn't feel right...and I think it's my fault."

"What?"

"Because of Donovan," Stiles automatically dropped his gaze, the memory of that night in the library continuing to haunt him. He swallowed hard. "Because I killed him."

"Stiles, you didn't kill him--"

"Yes, I did," Stiles didn't let her finish. "I pulled the pin, remember?"

"You pulled the pin because you didn't have another choice, Stiles," Sierra stated and then hesitated. "Look, I wasn't going to tell you this...but I saw Donovan."

Stiles panicked, his heart rate spiking. "Wait, what?!"

"Not like that," Sierra quickly put her hands on his shoulders so he would face her. "Stiles, breathe. I meant I saw him in a vision. When I was in the library, I accidentally touched the platform...I saw him trying to pull you down."

Stiles calmed down as she explained herself more clearly, yet still felt tense.

"Now I only saw a single moment of what you faced that night," Sierra went on, "but because you already told me the rest I know it must've been hard. Extremely hard. The thing is, when events like that happen...we can't keep everything buried inside." His lips parted, leading her to hold up her hand. "Please just let me finish."

Stiles slowly nodded.

Sierra explained her previous statement. "You said that something's changed in our pack, and I agree. However, I know it's not because of what happened with Donovan. It's because all of us are closing ourselves off."

"I'm getting the vibe you know more than I do," Stiles said and she nodded.

"You're right. I do."

Stiles shot her a worried look. "What happened?"

Sierra once again let out another deep breath. "I know Malia is hiding something," she said first, surprising him. "Something about the way she acted in the kitchen the other day when I mentioned the car crash. I feel like she didn't tell us everything she remembered."

"And then there's Kira," Sierra moved onto her kitsune friend with a frown on her face. "She's struggling with her powers again. I don't know if Scott noticed, but I did. The whole speaking Japanese and turning into the fox spirit shouldn't have happened. And at Eichen she completely lost control, but hasn't told us anything."

"But then you get to us," Sierra concluded. She looked at Stiles and he saw the worry clouding her eyes. "Scott knows we're keeping something from him, Stiles. That's why he keeps going to Theo."

"You heard what he said at Eichen, right?" Stiles asked her. "Sierra, if he doesn't believe Kira, why would he believe me?"

"No offense to Kira, but Stiles, you mean a lot more to Scott," Sierra told him honestly. "You're not just a friend from school or a member of his pack. You're his family--his brother. He's always defended you; that's why you have to tell him. If he finds out from anyone else, it'll crush him."

"I'm scared," he admitted fearfully.

"I know you are," Sierra said, before adding, "I am too. This whole chimera, Dread Doctor whatever isn't like anything we've faced before. But the only way we get through it, is by sticking together. Okay?"

"Okay."

Sierra leaned forward, pulling him into a hug once again. She couldn't help herself. Out of the crazy world she lived in, he was the one person she could truly be herself around. No matter what she felt, he was always there with open arms. He was her safe place.

Stiles felt himself sigh at the feeling of her being in his arms. Her simple presence made all of his fears go away.

"Based on what you've said about sticking together," Stiles started when their hug broke off, "can I guess you fixed things with Scott?"

"You would be wrong."

He tilted his head. "Do I need to punch him?"

"I would say yes, but I don't think it would help," Sierra replied, her lips quirked up. "If anything, today made our fight worse. We kind of tore off each other's head in the locker room earlier."

Stiles understood everything she didn't say. "He still doesn't believe you about Theo?"

"No, and it's driving me crazy!" Sierra expressed, throwing her hands up. "And it's not even just that! He's--"

She was cut off from the sound of her phone buzzing. Pulling it out of her pocket, she frowned. "It's Lydia," she said, reading the message she had received.

"What's wrong?"

"She wants us to go with her to the hospital," Sierra answered. "Something about her memory about her grandma and her surgery."

"Are you sure you're up for it?" Stiles asked, recalling how he found her crying. "I can take you home, you know, let you get some rest."

"I appreciate the offer, but if I did I would only worry about Lydia," Sierra sighed, rising to her feet. She held out her hand to him, which he grabbed as he also stood up. "We have to meet her in the parking lot."

Stiles kept Sierra close while they walked down the stone path towards the parking lot, her arms woven through his.

"Thanks for letting me cry on you and rant," she said after a moment of silence.

Stiles chuckled and he tilted his head to press a quick kiss to her hair. "That's what boyfriends are for, string bean. You can always talk to me about anything. Plus, I wanted to thank you too--you were there when I needed you most and I appreciate that. A lot."

"That's what girlfriends are for," she stole his words, cracking a smile as he laughed.

"You know, I can still punch Scott," he told her. "I know he's our best friend, but I totally will punch him if he's being an ass to you."

Sierra raised an eyebrow. "He's an alpha, Stiles--with super strength?"

"Exactly!" Stiles grinned. "The son of a gun will heal. No harm, no foul."

"Sounds tempting."

"So I can do it?"

"No."

*^*^*^*^*^*

Soon, the couple stood outside the hospital with Lydia.

They had all driven over together in the banshee's Prius, Stiles taking the backseat.

Lydia hadn't exactly explained her reasoning behind the hospital visit, but Sierra knew it was important.

"So what exactly are we doing here?" Stiles questioned, putting his hands on his hips. "You've had your suppressed memory."

Lydia shook her head to disagree. "It wasn't the right memory. I remembered my grandmother at Eichen House."

"You said there wasn't anything about the surgery or the Dread Doctors," Sierra recalled that morning. "Couldn't that just mean that they didn't mess with you at all?"

"But when I looked at the cover, I saw them standing over me," Lydia pointed out. "Yet after reading the book, I don't have the full memory with them. There has to be a reason why."

Stiles glanced at Sierra once he saw the banshee's expectant stare. "Wait, we're not supposed to know that are we?"

Lydia rolled her eyes. "I'm saying something happened during the surgery," she said simply, "but I think it has more to deal with me being a banshee."

Sierra caught onto her line of thinking. "You're saying the surgery..."

"It wasn't my memory," Lydia confirmed with a nod. "It was someone else's."

*^*^*^*^*^*

After school, Scott decided to step away from everyone and have a moment to himself.

Somehow, he ended up back in the locker room. He sat on the bench in front of his locker, his body slouching from the exhaustion wearing him down. A frown tugged his mouth down when he kept glancing towards the side of the room.

That is where he and Sierra talked the last time. Where they argued so much Sierra left in tears.

A sigh escaped Scott.

He just couldn't stop thinking about it.

The way she immediately diverted the subject when she let Stiles's name slip. Or how she begged him to trust her instead of letting Theo weasel his way into the pack.

But she still came to help me, Scott thought.

His eyes flickered down to the inhaler grasped tightly in his hand.

Asthma had controlled his life since he was seven. Running a lap made him gasp, his hands gripping on his knees as he hunched over. Little triggers brought large nuisances. A daily imperfection with a reminder buried in his backpack.

But then he got bitten. A miracle, he could say now, how the condition disappeared. Big gulps of air filled his lungs without twisting. He no longer felt the weight of a boot crushing his chest. He could sprint for miles and barely break a sweat. Minute after minute he could keep playing the game he adored and mess around with his best friends like normal teenagers should.

Asthma wasn't supposed to control him anymore.

Things were supposed to be better now. He was a werewolf-- a true alpha. A strong leader who took on deadly assassins. Who conquered Deucalion's murderous pack from the outside in and destroyed the terror from the Darach and the nogitsunes.

Yet there Scott sat, defeated and dependent on a pathetic inhaler to simply do the job his lungs failed to do on their own.

"Are you going to be okay?"

Scott lifted his head.

Theo stared back with concern in his eyes, as he stood in front of his own locker. Scott hesitated to say anything at first, Sierra's words echoing in his ears.

People change, Scott.

"Yeah," he forced out, exhaling deeply. "I, I think it was just the memory hitting me...a psychosomatic thing."

Theo raised his eyebrows yet didn't reply. However, Scott was smart enough to know the boy had come into the locker room for a reason.

"Did you, uh, want to talk about something?" Scott asked him, pushing his feelings down.

Theo hesitated, but then chose to shake his head. "Nah, it can wait." He grabbed his gym bag and hoisted it over his shoulder.

"No, no," Scott stopped him from leaving. In his eyes, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt another friend. "It's okay. What's up?"

Theo sighed, but walked over to where Scott was sitting. "Last night," he started, "when you guys all fell asleep? I went upstairs to check on Kira." He sat down with his legs on either side of the bench and his phone in hand. "She was sleeping but..."

"You heard her speaking Japanese?" Scott guessed, and his breath hitched when Theo slowly nodded his head.

"But I didn't just hear it," Theo said. He pulled up a recording on his phone and hit play.

Scott listened closely, hearing the familiar voice of his girlfriend. Except he didn't understand a word she muttered; to him, it was complete gibberish. But he recognized it.

He swallowed hard before responding, "That's what she said at the club."

"Well, I found a website that could translate it," Theo informed him. "It means--roughly-- 'I am the Messenger of Death.'" He watched Scott's face drop. "Does it get worse?"

Scott didn't know what to tell him.

Kitsunes were confusing to begin with, and Kira only discovered her abilities last winter. Over the summer, she learned a lot from her mother about what exactly she was capable of doing. However, as of lately, Kira found herself relearning basic information about her kind. In Scott's mind, the incident at Eichen only proved her lack of control.

"Um," Scott struggled to find the right words. "Yeah, something is happening to her. She's got this aura around her...it's hard to explain. Though, it's supposed to be part of her."

Scott paused as he remembered how different the fox spirit looked at Sinema. It had grown in size, shining a brighter orange than before. "It looks like it's taking over," he commented before he shook his head. "I don't know. Something's happening. And to be honest..."

"What?" Theo asked, wondering why Scott just drifted off.

"I don't know if I can trust her anymore."

The realization hit Scott hard. He loved Kira, he truly did, but the two were drifting apart. He knew she was struggling, yet she refused to talk to him about it.

"I don't want to drag you into it," Kira had said one night, when he finally asked what was going on. "I can take care of myself."

Those six little words. He wanted to cry when he heard them. A little phrase that brought back nothing but heartache. All it did was remind him of who he had lost--a girl who always used to say the same thing.

I can take care of myself.

Theo hid his surprise well, only one eyebrow twitching up in disbelief. But he didn't have time to question the true alpha.

Both of them froze at the lights flickering overhead. A simple switch had become a sign of something horrible to come.

Scott rose to his feet, his body tensing as his ears perked. He narrowed his gaze to the floor, trying to listen. "Do you hear that?"

"Yeah," Theo frowned. "I hear it too."

A crackle of electricity. Drops of water hitting cement. An alienated buzz that rose the hair on the back of Scott's neck.

"It's coming from the basement."