THIRTY-SIX

"If his Jeep is gone, that's where we start." Mr. Stilinski told us as we stand next to him in his office. "Parrish, let's get an APB out on a blue 1980 CJ-5 Jeep, Cordova, I want a list of any kind of industrial basement or sub-level of any building that he could've gotten into while sleepwalking. It's the coldest night of the year so far. So, if he's out there barefoot in just a t-shirt, he could already to be hypothermic."

I put a hand over my mouth and looked down. Some part of me thinks this is my fault. If I had been there with Stiles last night, he wouldn't be out there. He would be sleeping next to me. "Let's move fast. Let's think fast. The three of you, come with me."

We enter his office, and he closed the door behind him. "Okay, is there anything you need to tell me that I can't tell everybody out there?"

"Lydia knew he was missing," Scott said.

"Can she help find him?" Mr. Stilinski asked. "Did you know he was missing?"

"He called me." I mumble.

"Well, she's working on it." Isaac said.

"Anything else?"

"I called Derek and Allison for help," Scott said.

"Can you find him by scent?" Mr. Stilinski asked.

There was a knock on the door. "We got it, sir, we got the Jeep," Parrish said making me raise an eyebrow, that was very quick.

✢

The Jeep was located at the hospital, and I ran up to the Jeep, getting my hopes up. "Stiles!" I call, but Mr. Stilinski opened the door, there was no one there.

"It's dead." Mr. Stilinski said. "He must've left the lights on."

"Why would he come here?" I ask, Scott stands beside me.

"Let's find out." Mr. Stilinski said.

Scott, Isaac, and I followed Derek up to the roof of the building. "He's not here. Not anymore." Derek said.

"You mean the whole building?" Scott asks.

"Gone." My heart dropped, making my knees feel week.

"I'll go tell Stilinski," Isaac said.

Scott turned to Isaac. "And see if you can find Allison," Scott told us. I nodded, and Isaac takes my hand, it wasn't warm like Stiles'. Great, now I'm comparing everything to Stiles as if he was dead. He's not dead. "She's not answering her phone."

✢

"Lydia, I don't want to say are you sure about this, but..." Mr. Stilinski was cut off by Lydia. Right now, we're standing outside the Eichen House entrance.

"No, he is here. I swear to God." I stare off at the old looking house.

"I believe her." I stood up for Lydia and nodded. I feel it too, now.

We soon enter the building, the walls were white, and the floorboards were polished brown wood. We go to the reception.

"I need all access to the basement rooms in this facility," Mr. Stilinski said to the person at the desk who had stood up, alarmed. Scott and I stand next to each other.

Mr. Stilinski, Scott, Aiden, and I all follow Lydia. "It's here." Lydia said, and there it was, a door that leads to the basement. A door where Stiles is. "It's right here." Mr. Stilinski went forward and I followed after him, much like everyone else. He opened the door, holding a flashlight out.

"Stiles?" I yell, walking quickly down the stairs. There wasn't much to the basement, just a few abandoned things. Mr. Stilinski holds the torch out, looking through the area. "Stiles..." My heart dropped, he wasn't here.

Scott stepped forward. "Guys?" My breaths were heavy.

"I don't get it." Lydia whispered. "This has to be it."

"I felt it too, when we got here," My voice cracked.

"Then where is he, huh?" Mr. Stilinski asked lowly. "Where is he? Where is he!?" Mr. Stilinski went forward towards me and I stepped back, squeezing my eyes shut. Tears were streaming down my face. "I'm sorry,"

"I don't undestand." Lydia mumbles. Scott had rubbed my arm for comfort, and everyone went up the stairs.

"Stiles?" I call out, hoping he would answer, but he doesn't. I bit on my lower lip.

Where the hell is he?

✢

"Oh, my god," I ran a hand through my hair as I couldn't believe my eyes. Stiles was walking down the hallway of the hospital, he looked freaked out. I ran towards him, and he spotted me, my mum and dad were walking beside him. They found him, they freaking found him.

I wrap my arms around him, and once again tears started to fall down my cheeks. He wrapped his arms around me tightly, and I closed my eyes. "Sh, I'm okay," he soothes softly. He rocked me back and forward, right now, it felt like we were the only two people on this planet.

"It's not, you're not," I cry, it's funny, he should be the one crying. "I thought I lost you, you-you sounded so scared, a- and I didn't know what to do, and-" a hiccup escaped my lips, my eyes widening.

"Hey, it's okay, you don't need to worry anymore," Stiles told me, I shake my head, and blinked a few times.

"I'll always worry," I sigh.

"Stacey, we need to take Stiles now, okay?" Mum told me softly, putting a hand on Stiles' shoulder. I wrap my arms around his neck and squeezed him tighter. I nodded my head after a few seconds. He kissed my head, and I step back. "Come on, Stiles." Stiles took one look at me, before he walked off with mum.

✢

Scott, mum, dad, and I stand around the waiting room for Stiles. Mr. Stilinski walked down the hallway. "He's asleep now," Mr. Stilinski informed us. "And he's just fine," I sigh. "He doesn't remember much. It's a bit like a dream to him," Mr. Stilinski locked eyes with my father. "Thank you."

"It was that repellent we sprayed in the coyote's den to keep other animals out." Rafael explained. They found him in the coyote den. "I couldn't go near it without my eyes watering. It's a good thing he mentioned it over the phone."

"No, it was more than that. Thank you." My heart stopped for a second, is Mr. Stilinski and my dad getting along? Or are my eyes tricking me?

"It was a lucky connection," Rafael said.

"McCall, can you shut up please and just accept my sincerest gratitude." Does that mean I have to give him my gratitude?

"Accepted." They shake hands.

"All right you two, you have school less than six hours," Mum told me and Scott. "Go home, go to sleep."

"Okay," Scott agreed and hugged mum. I bite on my lower lip, I want to stay with Stiles. The adults walk off, and Scott slowly takes my hand.

"I don't know what happened, I felt connected with Lydia, I knew what she was going on about, I felt it. He was there." I said as Scott and I walk down the hallway.

"Yeah, I wasn't much help either," Scott said. "Doesn't matter, he's okay," After Scott had said that, I turned my head to the sound of metal clanking. I turned my head towards the front, where the hell is that coming from? "Stacey, do you hear something?"

"No," I shake my head softly, as the clanking stops. "I didn't hear anything." I then walk, and Scott followed me.

✢

"I'm not sure how to pronounce this." The doctor had said as Scott, Stiles, mum, and Mr. Stiinski and I were in a scanner room. They're doing tests to see what was wrong with Stiles. I sit next to Stiles on the scanner, and Scott stands. "Or if it's not actually a misspelling."

"Just call him Stiles." Mr. Stilinski nodded, it's always been a mystery to how Stiles' first name is pronounced. My hand slips into his, and he took it comfortably. His hands are warm and welcoming.

"Okay," the doctor turns to us. "Stiles, just to warn you, you're going to hear a lot of noise during the MRI. It's due to pulses of electricity going through the metal coils inside the machine. Uh, if you want we can get you some earplug or headphones."

"Ah, no, no, I don't need anything." I pursed my lips at Stiles' answer, as much as I want to say yes, he does need it, I didn't.

"Hey, we're just on the other side of that window," Mr. Stilinski told him softly. "Okay?"

"Okay," Stiles nodded. Mr. Stilinski smiled, and Stiles patted his arm. Mum and Mr. Stilinski leave the room and the doctor. "You know what they're looking for, right?" I look down. "It's called frontotemporal dementia. Areas of your brain start to shrink. It's what my mother had." My heart dropped, no more tears, Stacey. "It's the only form of dementia that can hit teenagers. And there's no cue."

I squeezed Stiles' hand tightly, he squeezed back. Stiles is going to be okay. It stayed silent for a moment, then Scott spoke. "Stiles if you have it, we'll do something." Scott paused and looked at Stiles. "I'll do something." I ran a hand through Stiles' hair smoothly, then placed my head on his shoulder. Scott and Stiles then hug and I moved my head out of the way. "I'll leave you two alone."

I watch Scott leave the room, and close the door. I let a few tears slip, I've cried way too much. "Hey, it's gonna be okay," Stiles whipped a few tears from under my eyes. I then stand up and walked to him, wrapping my arms around him tightly. I buried my face in his shoulder.

"I don't want to lose you." My voice cracked. "I really love you, Stiles, I just... I can't lose you." He hugged me tighter, and this hug lastest a minute.

"I love you, so much," Stiles whispered. "If I do-"

"You won't, no you won't," I cut him off.

I pulled away slightly, still close to him. "If I do... I'll always be with you, okay? I mean... you have the necklace, and as long as you don't take it off, you will always have me." Stiles softly said.

"What if... I lose it, then I won't have you, I'll be alone for the rest of my life-" I was cut off by his lips connecting with mine. It was sweet and passionate. He pulled back slowly, our foreheads touching.

"You're not gonna lose me, Stacey," Stiles said. I nodded.

I turn my head when I saw someone enter, it was Scott. "We need to do the test now, guys," Scott softly said. I heaved a sigh, and I turn to Stiles I slowly helped him lye back on the machine.

I lean over and rubbed my thumb on his forehead. I lean down and kissed his forehead. He had grabbed my hand, and he nodded. I turn around and let go of our hands as I walked towards Scott, and he wrapped an arm around me.

We looked back at Stiles, who was staring at the roof. We looked at each other, and we closed the door and walked towards mum and Mr. Stilinski.

He was put into the machine.

"Okay, Stiles, his will take about 45 minutes to an hour." The doctor spoke through the mic. "Now, remember, try not to move. Even just a little bit. Stiles, you're going to hear that noise now. It's gonna be a loud clanging. Kind of like a hammer hitting an anvil.

My heart started hammering, as the metal starts. Why am I hearing this? I wince at how loud it was. I then grabbed my earphones, and I plugged in some music, turning up the sound. I looked up, seeing all of them look at me.

Scott mouthed something to me, and I unplug an ear. "What?" I ask.

"Are you okay?" Scott asked softly, the metal got louder and I plugged in the earphone. Scott then drags me out to the waiting area, and no surprise Derek was there.

Derek and Scott sit across from each other, and I slide in my seat next to Scott, listening to the blasting music through my ears. I closed my eyes and fell into a sleep.