Pure × Isaac Lahey

70.

x x

        The elevator doors closed on Sheriff Stilinski and Allison, a hum of silence between them as they rose higher within the hospital.

        After hearing Allison calmly sigh, Stilinski shook his head with a near smile. "You know what, I don't know how you guys do it. You're all so strong. So fearless." He didn't see Allison shift her head, the teen slowly breaking down. "Hell, you even manage to keep your grades up."

        "I am..." Allison said with a slow breath, "failing Econ."

        "Is that Coach's class?" Allison nodded. "Well, I'll have a talk with him."

        Allison tried to laugh, but instead her eyes began to well.

        Stilinski stopped the elevator, turning to Allison as her face wrinkled in threat of tears. "Hey, you okay?"

         Allison stared at the ground, "I'm not...fearless." She choked back her tears, wringing her hands. "I'm terrified. I'm terr-ifed." Her voice stuttered as she spoke. "I'm always terrified. I - I act like I know what I'm doing, but I don't. I don't know if Elora or Stiles are going to make it out. I don't know what my dad is thinking. I don't know if we should trust Derek, or Charlie - Jesus, Charlie... I don't know -" Allison broke off in tears, her voice clenched. "I don't know anything."

        "Hey," Stilinski softly said, pulling Allison into a hug. He rubbed her back, letting her calm against his chest like he'd done with Stiles so many times before. "You know what's funny?" he asked. "You sound just like a cop."

         Allison laughed through her sniffles, letting go of a deep breath before Stilinski held her out at arm's length.

        Stilinski lowered his head, Allison taking a moment before mustering the strength to look at him. "You're gonna be okay," he told her.

        Allison nodded, wiping away her tears as Stilinski reached to start the elevator back up.

        Stilinski's phone buzzed before he could hit the switch, a security alert popping up.

        "What's that?" Allison asked.

        "Someone's breaking into my house," he said, opening an app. "After Stiles started sleepwalking, I had some security precautions put in. Motion sensors. Cameras."

        "Is that his room?" Allison's eyes grew, leaning in.

        Stiles sat on the edge of his bed, staring dead at the camera as he wiggled his fingers.

        Allison covered her mouth, "Oh, my God."

        "Come on," Stilinski said, turning the elevator back on and forcing it down as he called Argent.

        The moment the pair bolted off the elevator, Elora's cloaking fell, revealing the witch at the very back with a twisted grin on her face.

       "Oh, lovely day."

x x

        As the sun began to set, the team of Allison, Stilinski, Isaac, Charlie, Derek and Chris' herded in Stiles' bedroom, the resident long gone.

        "What is that?" Argent asked as he walked to the chessboard. "What do these flags mean?"

        "This is what Stiles used to try and explain to me about all of you," Stilinski told them.

        "Well, maybe it's a message from Stiles," offered Allison. "The real Stiles."

        As Charlie picked up the only piece not on the board with Elora's name on it, Derek asked, "You think there's any reason my name's on the king?"