willow | d. hale [on hold]

36 | real or not

your queen's already off the board.

[ 3.20 — 3.21 ]

Willow and Stiles were silent as they curled up against each other in the backseat of Noah's car. All three of them knew what was coming and all of them dreaded it. As the car came to a stop, Willow looked at the looming gates of Eichen House, anxiety washing over her.

She didn't want Stiles to do this.

As the three of them approached the gate, the sound of a motorcycle approaching caught their attention. Somehow, Scott had found out about the plan to send Stiles to the mental health center.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Scott asked, looking quite hurt by all this.

"Because we wanted to avoid something like this," Noah said, sighing.

"It's only seventy-two hours," Stiles told him.

Scott shook his head, looking back at the building. "This is the same place where Barrow came from — the guy who had a tumor inside him filled with flies. You don't know everything yet—"

"I know enough," Noah told him. "Nogitsunes, Kitsunes, Oni, or whatever they're called."

"Wow, that was actually all surprisingly correct," Stiles muttered under his breath.

Noah gave Scott a serious look. "Scott, I saw an MRI that looked exactly like my wife's... and it terrifies me. I'm headed down to LA tomorrow to talk to a specialist."

"Then why are you putting him in here?" Scott asked.

"He's not," Stiles told him. "It's my decision. Getting some distance between me and Willow."

"Stiles, I can't help you if you're in here—"

"And I can't hurt you," he said, frowning. He glanced at Willow. "I can't get to Will in here."

"Deaton's got some ideas. Argent's calling people. We're going to find something," Scott said desperately. "And, if we can't—"

"If you can't," Stiles interrupted, leaning closer. "If you can't, then you have to do something for me, okay? Make sure I never get out."

As Stiles stepped away, Willow grabbed his hand. "You don't have to do this, Sti."

"I do," he said, nodding. Then he dropped her hand. "We have to stay apart. As soon as this lichen stuff wears off, you'll lose yourself and you won't even know it. I'll take advantage of you."

"It's not you that made me do those things, and you know it," she said, frowning. "This thing's been in you for weeks, doing and saying things that you'd never do."

"Then he made you do things you'd never do," Stiles stated. So many moments flashed through both their minds — the sleeping in the same bed, the touching, the kiss in the hospital. "If they find a way to stop this, I'll see you in seventy-two hours."