Saving Scott

12: Problematic

The Tate House

Two Days Later

They rushed Isaac into the hospital, knowing that Melissa would make sure that any supernatural elements of Isaac's healing process were hidden; but Malia got the feeling that Isaac's supernatural healing abilities weren't a problem right now.

"He's not breathing!" Derek's words seemed to echo in Malia's mind as she worried over the curly-haired blonde.

Kira got pulled aside by an older, dark-haired woman who she seemed to recognize.

"I saw what you did," Malia overheard her say. "Now is not the time for anybody else to see!"

Malia turned over in bed, trying to ignore the woman's almost motherlike scolding. You know, if mothers scolded you about supernatural stuff...well, Melissa did...Emily didn't. Malia would know.

Emily had been sober, though, last night when Malia had come home. Marcus had still been at work.

"Two people said they saw Stiles' Jeep leave the hospital," Malia had heard Parrish say as she stepped outside - she was only crowding the nurses and doctors, inside. 

"Someone needs to find him," the sheriff's voice echoed in Malia's mind. "Now."

"Is it me, or is it Scott?" Rafael asked, as the sheriff looked at him. "What? Malia could have dragged him into trouble again. Tell the others to keep an eye out for signs of sabotage."

And Malia couldn't help but pity the sheriff, who didn't yet know that Stiles was the Nogitsune.

She turned back over in her bed again, using her pillow to try and muffle her thoughts, cursing all the memories of last night for not allowing her to get any sleep.

"You have to tell Stilinski," Derek's voice echoed. "You have to tell him what's really wrong with Stiles."

Malia sat up, and noticed that her hands were shaking. 

"I want to know what you were doing tonight," Emily Tate had asked. "And I want the truth. I know it was supernatural. Your father is out, so I want the goddamn truth, Malia."

"I was at the hospital." Malia weighed her options of keeping secrets, but then decided to risk it. After all, wasn't that the whole point of someone being a guardian? And Emily knew about the supernatural now, shouldn't she be able to talk to her mother about these things, especially since she wanted to know and she was sober, now? "Stiles, he's, um, he's being possessed by a dark fox spirit called the Nogitsune. The Nogitsune caused a power surge at the hospital last night, and my new friend Kira, who's a kitsune, she stopped it."

"A dark fox spirit?" Emily wished she could stare at her daughter disbelievingly; instead, she opened the wine cabinet, using the key hidden under the cylindrical jar full of wooden spoons used for baking. Malia didn't know why they hid it. "Is Kylie helping you with this?"

"I don't ask her to, she always volunteers," Malia felt hurt that Emily would ever think she would force her sister to help. "And I protect her. I protect everyone."

Emily rolled her eyes. "You can't protect everyone, Malia. One of these days, you're going to realize that, and it's not going to be with Kylie. So you have two choices here." She faced Malia, clutching a bottle of wine. Still sober, even though she was about to start drinking again. "I'll give you twenty-four hours. The pack, or your family."