Gather The Ashes || Stilinski || Book Three

Sixteen

IF SCOTT APPRECIATED ANYTHING MORE THAN SLEEP, he'd be labeled a madman.

After all, the life he lived caused him to always be on his feet. Rarely, did he ever get a full night's rest. Especially that night, following his goodbye to Kira and the extra tests in the hospital--since he technically had been declared dead--Scott wanted nothing more to pass out the moment he saw his bed.

Unfortunately for him, the impatient knock against his window came only thirty minutes after he shut his eyes. Swears fell from his lips as forced himself to sit up. Dragging his fingers down his face to wake himself up more, Scott simply opened the window and turned back around before even seeing the visitor.

"Sierra, you know I love you," Scott started off, interrupting himself with a yawn. "But I am extremely exhausted after the day we've had."

Sierra sighed, climbing into his room with a frown on her face. "I know, and I'm sorry," she apologized. "I just...I just couldn't sleep."

Scott took a seat in his desk chair, concern in his eyes as he watched her sit on the edge of his bed. "Why, what's wrong?"

"Well, I haven't been getting much sleep for awhile now," Sierra shared, self-consciously crossing her arms over her stomach and casting her gaze to the floor. "But Stiles told me a few weeks ago you already knew that."

Scott smiled sadly at her, "I had my suspicions." Wanting to be there for her, he got up and moved to sit beside her. "What's going on, Sisi?"

"I'm not really sure," Sierra admitted as a forced laugh, fiddling with her fingers in her lap. "Today was...scary. I mean, the past few weeks were pretty terrifying, but I don't know, today I felt more fear than normal."

"Why?" Scott furrowed his eyebrows. "We're all okay."

"Seeing you in the morgue, I--" Sierra cut herself off, shaking her head. "Scott, that felt so real. You looked like you were actually dead. And it just made me think, what if...what if one day we aren't so lucky? What if one day we lose? I can't do this without you Scott, I can't--"

Noticing her distress and the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes, Scott quickly wrapped his arms around Sierra. "You can't think like that," he told her gently as he rubbed her back. "You're not going to lose me, Sierra, okay? I promise."

"You can't promise me stuff like that," Sierra sniffled, holding onto him tighter.

"Hey," he called out to her, leaning his head back so he could look her in the eye. Scott brushed away a few of her tears before stating, "I'm here, alright? I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere. Look, you are one of my best friends and more than anything, I trust you. I understand that you're scared, heck, I'm scared too! But we have faced much worse than this, Sierra, and we are still sitting here."

"You do make a good point," Sierra nodded, the corners of her lips lifting.

Scott scoffed dramatically and waved his hand, "Of course I make a good point! You and I? We're a team, a damn good one might I add. These assassins...whoever the Benefactor is, it doesn't matter. They don't know who they're messing with. But I can't show them who's boss on my own. I need my best friend...I need my sister, Sierra. I need you."

Sierra's face broke out into a grin as she nodded, her spirits lifted. Scott smiled and hugged her once more, burying his head in her shoulder. "You know I love you, right?"

"I love you too, Scotty," she replied truthfully. "Thanks for keeping my hope alive."

"Well, you do it for the rest of us," he told her with a shrug, "it's time you start practicing what you've been preaching."