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CHAPTER TWELVE
LUNATIC
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MIA STUMBLED OUT OF the Jeep behind Scott and Stiles.  She had been pushed off the edge of her bed by her brother earlier that night when he had an idea.  

Stiles led the way through the preserve as his friend and sister followed behind him.  He had a bottle of whiskey in his bag and Mia had a flask filled with rum for herself.  She enjoyed whiskey on occasion, but preferred rum.

"Where are we going?" Scott asked as he caught Mia, who had tripped over a tree root.

"You'll see," Stiles replied.  Mia knew that her twin wanted to get them far enough into the woods that their father wouldn't see them.

"Cause we really shouldn't be out here." Scott replied in a nervous tone.  "My mom is in a constant state of freak-out from what happened at the school."

"Trust me Scooter, your mom not being the sheriff is an advantage," Mia teased.  "There's really no comparison."

"Can either of you at least just tell me what we're doing out here?"

"Yes!" Stiles exclaimed.  "When your best friend gets dumped-"

"I didn't get dumped! We're taking a break," Scott interrupted.

"All right, well, when your best friend gets told by his girlfriend that they're taking a break," Stiles began.  He turned to Mia, who had a small smile on her lips.

"You get your best friend drunk."

Scott looked at his two best friends, who held up their bottles of alcohol.

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Stiles placed the now half-empty whiskey bottle on a rock as Mia took another drink from her flask, which was nearly empty.  She smiled at the taste of the liquor as it seemed to warm her.

Mia could hear her brother talking about how their were so many other girls in the sea, or something like that, but chose to ignore his voice in favor of staring at the stars.  She laid down on the dirt beside Stiles and thought about how perfect tonight seemed.

She was spending time with her best friend and brother, being normal teens for once.  They weren't worrying about the alpha or anything werewolf related for the night.  For once, they could act like teenagers dealing with a heartbroken best friend.

"Scooter," Mia voice had a slight slur.  "Why don't you date someone else?"

Scott's eyes widened in confusion.  He was sure that Mia knew that he loved Allison, so why would she suggest that idea.

"You're like the perfect guy." She continued before pausing to take another drink from her flask.  "You're sweet and caring and just perfect."

"Mia, you're drunk."

"So?" Mia took another sip of her rum.  "Allison's an idiot for breaking up with you."

Stiles continued to ramble on about Lydia as Mia thought about how perfect her best friend was.  

"Like I think she's being so stupid," Mia continued.  Her words were slurred as she stared out to space.  "If I dated someone like you, I would know that you're a catch."

Scott heard his best friend's heartbeat seemingly flutter at her last words.  He didn't understand why Mia was saying this, especially because she was getting closer with his teammate, Isaac Lahey.  Stiles had told him all about the day the curly haired lacrosse player had been sitting on Mia's bed.  Scott didn't understand how Mia could talk like this while she was probably involved with Isaac.

"Like Lydia?" Scott asked Stiles as Mia quieted down.  

"How did you know I was talking about Lydia?" Stiles asked before turning to face Mia.  "Did you know that Mia likes-"

Mia slammed her hand over his mouth to protect her secret.  Even while intoxicated, she knew that if Stiles continued to talk, she would wind up in trouble.

"Isaac?" Scott asked with a confused look in his eyes.

"Isaac's pretty," Mia mumbled to herself.  She turned her head to face the teen wolf and just stared at him for a moment.  "You're pretty too Scooter."

"You're not happy!" Stiles let out a laugh.  "Take a drink."

"I don't want anymore."

"You're not drunk?" Mia questioned after taking another sip.  She felt carefree for the first time in months.  It was exhilarating.  

"I'm not anything." 

"You're a werewolf, silly," Mia slurred.  She attempted to sit up, only to fall back next to her twin.  "That makes you something."

"Maybe it's like," Stiles began with a slur.  "Maybe it's like not needing your inhaler anymore.  Maybe you can't get drunk, as a wolf?"

Mia and Stiles turned to each other with matching stupid smiles on their faces.

"Am I drunk?" They asked in unison.

Scott looked at the twins with an irritated expression.

"You're both wasted."

"Woohoo!" Mia cheered.  She loved the feeling of being free from stress.  

Stiles said something about how being alone was worse than being broken up, and Mia couldn't help but agree with her brother's words.  She knew that being alone and watching the person you love fall for someone else hurt like nothing else.

Stiles went to grab the bottle of whiskey, but a hand came out of nowhere and snatched up the bottle.

"Well, look at the two little bitches and their whore getting their drink on."

"Don't call my brother a whore you dickwad." Mia slurred as set tried to get up, only to realize she was a little too wasted to be balanced.

"Give it back," Scott said firmly.

Mia listened to the first man taunt Scott before turning to his friend.

"I think he wants a drink." The second man replied.

"I want the bottle."

Mia closed her flask, attempted to sit up again, and was able to do so with the help of her twin.  She leaned against Stiles as Scott's demeanor changed to a darker one.

"Scott, let's just go," Mia said nervously.

"Stiles brought us out here to get me drunk, Mia.  I'm not drunk yet."

The brunette moved away from her twin and leaned into the teen wolf's side.  She watched the man take a drink from the bottle of Jack as Scott started to stand up.  He made sure that she was leaning against the tree stump before moving closer to the men.

Mia watched her best friend move toward the men and grabbed her twin's hand.  Her heart was racing as Scott stalked closer to the adults.

"Give me the bottle." Scott's eyes glowed gold as his voice deepened.  "Give me the bottle of Jack."

"Scott." Stiles poked Mia's side before pointing out their best friend's claws.

She watched as Scott snatched the bottle of whiskey from the man's hands and threw it into the side of a tree.  

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"Please tell me that was because of the breakup." Stiles followed Scott while Mia leaned against him.  She may not be a lightweight, but she had consumed more alcohol than normal that night, and that was not helping her balance.  "Or cause tomorrow's the full moon."

Scott opened the passenger door of the Jeep and helped Stiles get Mia into the backseat.  She giggled while adjusting herself in the back of the car.  

"You're really pretty." Mia burst into another fit of giggles as her twin collapsed into the passenger's seat.  "I'm ready for a nap."

She didn't notice Scott staring off into the woods as she leaned into the passenger's seat to poke his shoulder.

"Can you drive me home?" Mia smiled at her best friend, who turned to face the twins.

"Yeah," Scott sighed.  He picked up Stiles and moved him into the front seat so he could drive the twins home.  "Can you buckle him in?"

Mia nodded at his request and pulled the seat belt across her brother's chest.  

"Ready!" Her voice was higher than normal, which made the teen wolf chuckle.

The duo listened to the radio as they drove to the Stilinski house, and thankfully the Sheriff was still at work.  Scott helped Stiles exit the car, and thankfully the hazel eyed boy was able to stand on his own.  He then turned back to the car and found Mia dozing off in the back seat.

"Mia?" Scott whispered, and the brunette stirred.  "We're at your house.  Come on."

The brunette let out a grunt as she stepped out of the Jeep, and nearly fell over, but thankfully, Scott caught her.  She giggled as he helped her stand up, but when he realized she wouldn't be able to stand on her own, he offered to carry her.

Mia relaxed her head on her best friend's shoulder as he held her on his back.  She knew that he would make sure she got inside safely.  Her eyes closed as the teen wolf carried her up the stairs and into her room.

He placed her down on her bed, only to find the girl fast asleep.  With a small sigh, he pulled off her sneakers and placed them at the foot of her bed.  He walked over to her bean bag chair and grabbed the blanket on top of it. 

"Good night Mia." Scott said as he pulled the blanket over his best friend's sleeping figure.

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Mia sat next to Stiles in the hallway outside of the principal's office.  He had convinced her to wait with him in hopes of catching their father before he would leave the school.  She leaned her head against the glass panels while her brother played with the zipper on his backpack.

The office door swung open, revealing a deputy along with their father, who walked over to his children.  They stood up and grabbed their bags as their father moved closer to them with his arms crossed.

"Don't you have a test to get to?"

"What's going on?" Stiles questioned.  "Did you find Derek yet?"

"I'm working on it." He sighed.  "You two go take your tests."

Stiles started to protest, but was cut off by their father, who demanded that the duo went to class.

"Dad this is important," Mia interrupted.

"You have to be careful tonight, okay?  Especially tonight." Mia could feel her brother's nerves, and she didn't blame him at all.  

"Please," Mia whispered.

The sheriff noticed the way his daughter stood, especially how her shoulders were tensed.  He knew that she must be stressed about something going on, and made a mental note to check on her later.

"Stiles, Mia, I'm always careful."

"Dad you've never dealt with this kind of thing before, okay?  At least not like this."

"I know," their father replied.  "Which is why I brought in people who have."

Mia listened to her dad talk to Stiles, but lost focus on their conversation when a familiar curly-haired boy walked down the hall.

"Stiles and I are just worried about you," Mia rushed.  "I'll see you later dad.  See you in chem Sti!"

With that, the brunette rushed away from the duo in search of the boy who had been avoiding her for about a week.  She found him standing at his locker, switching his books, which meant that he couldn't avoid her anymore.

"Issac!" She smiled at the boy, who jumped at the sound of her voice.  "Where've you been?  It's been like a week."

The boy stared into his locker as he thought about what he could say to the brunette standing on his right.  Her torso was leaned against the locker beside his.  He was all too aware of the way he messed up.  He ignored her for a week because she kissed his cheek, and that was enough to confuse him.

"Nothing."

"You're lying," Mia replied with a teasing smile.  "You can tell me whatever happened."

Isaac sighed as he placed his chemistry notebook in his locker.  They had a test next period, so he wouldn't be needing the green notebook that day.

"I'll tell you later," he mumbled.

"There's something that's been bothering you," Mia insisted.  "You can talk to me.  We still have twenty minutes before the test starts.  Plenty of time for a little talking."

Isaac knew that Mia wouldn't take no for an answer, and proceeded to shut his locker.  He followed the brunette to the library, where they could hang out until their next class would start.

The brunette stopped walking when they reached a secluded corner of the room.  She didn't want to make her friend uncomfortable, but something was off and she was determined to figure out what it was.

"Spill the beans Isaac." Her foot tapped impatiently against the floor as she tried to think of what could be on her friend's mind.  

"It started last time we were at your house," Isaac mumbled.  His response made Mia tilt her head in confusion, as if she didn't understand what was so important about that date.  "Before I left, you told me what you did would annoy your brother."

Mia's eyes widened as she remembered what he was talking about.  The kiss.  It wasn't anything romantic, but it was still something.  Her breath hitched in her throat as she thought about what Isaac could be thinking of.

"Did you do it just for that reason, or was there something else?" Isaac asked while his gaze fell from Mia's eyes to the floor.  "Could there be something else?"

She didn't know what to say.  She had never thought of him that way.  Sure he was handsome and had great taste in music and movies, but he was her friend.  

"I like you," he whispered.  His eyes moved from the floor back to Mia's as he spoke.  "I have for a while now, but our friendship means more to me.  If you don't like me that way, we can just forget that this whole conversation happened and go back to the way we were before."

Mia knew that she liked Isaac as a friend, but then again, she thought that she only liked Scott as a friend.  Maybe this could be a sign that there is someone for her, someone who would pick her.

She couldn't think of anything to say, especially because she didn't want to hurt her friend by saying the wrong thing.

"Isaac," she began, "I never knew you felt like that.  How long have you felt that way?"

"Since Christmas," Isaac sighed.  "You showed up to school the day before break with my present and it just made everything so much better.  Ever since we became friends, you have gone out of your way to make sure we hang out, and that means the world to me.  You've always known how to make me smile, and you're my best friend."

Mia's heart swelled at her friend's words.  He had liked her since Christmas, which was only about a month and a half ago.

"I know it's a lot." He looked to the floor.  "But I just want to know if you feel the same way."

"I don't know." Her reply made Isaac's face fall.  "But that doesn't mean no.  That means maybe."

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Mia sat down at her desk, which was on the right of Isaac's, and stared at the test in front of her.  She noticed Scott try to get Allison's attention, but decided to tune out his voice as she stared at the papers on her desk.  Her teacher hadn't hesitated to warn the class about how much this individual test could alter their grade.

"You have forty-five minutes to complete this test.  Twenty-five percent of your grade can be earned right now simply by writing your name on the cover of the blue book." At the end of that sentence, Mia wrote her name on the cover of the book.  She looked to her right and saw that Isaac had done the same thing.  "However, as happens every year, one of you will inexplicably fail to put your name on the cover, and I'll be left yet again questioning my decision to become a teacher.  So, let's get the disappointment over with.  Begin!"

Mia flipped to the first page of the test paper and started to read the questions on their most recent unit.  Thankfully, Mia was confident with the unit and was able to move through the test at a quick pace.  She erased one of her answers after noticing that she circled the incorrect letter, only to see Scott leave the classroom in a rush.

Within seconds, her brother followed the teen wolf out of the classroom, and she could feel Harris' gaze on her.  She shrugged her shoulders, knowing that if she were to leave class now, she would probably have detention for a week, especially since Harris was proctoring their exam.

Isaac glanced over at the brunette and knew that she wanted to follow her brother, but also assumed that she didn't want to get in trouble for once.  He knew that she would help them in an instant, but was unsure of why she wasn't running off to find them now.

"Continue working on your exams," Mr. Harris said calmly.  "These are due at the end of the period."

Mia bit the inside of her cheek as she fought off the urge to sprint out of the classroom.  For once, she knew that it would be smarter to stay in class and finish the exam.  Scott and Stiles were probably in the locker room talking about how heartbroken the teen wolf was, and Mia didn't need to have her heart broken by her best friend yet again.  He was so blissfully oblivious to the effect he had on the brunette, and she wished that he would notice anything other than Allison.

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Mia sat down on the bench as her brother, Scott and Isaac walked onto the field for practice.  She had promised Isaac that they would meet up after practice to talk about their conversation from earlier, so she couldn't leave early.

Stiles seemed excited as he moved past the benches, and Mia knew that something must've happened in the locker room with the team.  Maybe something happened with playing time, especially because of the major spread of pink eye through the lacrosse team.

"Hey." Mia looked away from the field and saw Lydia standing on her left.  

"Hey Lydia." The brunette smiled at the strawberry blonde as she sat down beside her.

Lydia and Mia watched as two of the defenders knocked Scott to the floor, causing the hazel eyed girl to flinch.

"So how's the whole Scott situation going?" Lydia questioned while twirling a lock of her hair with her fingers.  "Or is there no progress there?"

Mia sighed at her friend's question.  Of course the girl would ask about Scott less than a week after comforting her.

"He's heartbroken because of Allison," Mia explained.  "I'm being there for him the best I can, and that means being his friend."

Lydia watched as Mia's shoulders tensed before looking toward the field.  She noticed that Mia wasn't looking at Scott, but rather at number fourteen.

"So who's that?" Lydia questioned with a smirk.  "Number fourteen, right?"

"Just a friend."

"Like Scott is just a friend?"

"I don't know," Mia sighed.  "He told me that he liked me today, and I just don't know what to do."

Lydia pursed her lips as her mind conjured up different scenarios for the brunette in her mind.

"What if this is like a sign?" Lydia asked.  "What if this is the way of the universe telling you to move on?"

"I just," Mia began with a sigh.  "I just don't know.  Isaac's sweet and I like him, but I don't know if I like him like that."

"This could be the sign you've been waiting for." Lydia said with a small smile.  "I think you should take the shot.  Go on a date, what's the worst that could happen?"

The two girls stopped their conversation when Danny was knocked to the ground by Scott.

"What the hell is wrong with your friend?"

Mia stared at him with wide eyes.  She couldn't believe he hurt Danny of all people.

"I have no idea."

She rushed down to the field with Lydia by her side, worry running through her veins as Scott moved away from the scene.  Her backpack was slung over her shoulder as she walked beside the shorter girl.

"Come on," Lydia demanded.  She tugged on the brunette's wrist, pulling her closer to Jackson and the team.  "Is he okay?"

"Yeah," Jackson sighed.  He looked between the two girls and attempted to hide his surprise at Mia's presence.  "It looks like he just has a bloody nose."

Jackson stopped speaking as he turned to face the two girls.  He stared at his girlfriend's upper lip, where her pink lipstick was smudged.

"What?"

"Your lipstick." Jackson replied, causing the strawberry blonde to pull out her pocket mirror and fix the minor mishap.

"Oh," Lydia sighed.  "Wonder how that happened."

"Yeah, I wonder."

Mia elbowed the girl in the side and tried to think of why Lydia would have had her lipstick smudged.  She quickly excused herself and made her way over to her twin, who had a look of betrayal on his face.

"What happened?" She wrapped her hand around her brother's wrist.  "Why do you look like someone kicked a puppy?"

Stiles waved her off and muttered something about telling her later on that night.

"Whatever," Mia rolled her eyes.  "I'll find you later."

The brunette walked toward the bleachers so she could relax, only to have her wrist pulled back.  She let out a small yelp at the unexpected contact before turning to see the kind eyes of Isaac Lahey staring at her.

"Jesus Isaac, you scared me," she chuckled with her hand over her heart.  "You looked good at practice."

Isaac smiled at her as he pulled his helmet off.  He was glad she came to practices because at least he got some playing time during scrimmages.

"Do you want to continue that conversation from earlier?"

Mia took a deep breath before nodding.  She couldn't avoid talking about this, especially since he worked up the nerve to tell her about it.

"Let's get off the field," Isaac suggested with a small smile.  He led her toward the school building so he could get out of his practice gear and into something more comfortable.  Once they were outside of the locker room, he hurried inside in order to not waste any of Mia's time that day.

"What're you doing outside the boy's locker room?" A teasing voice asked from behind Mia.  "Waiting for anyone in particular?"

"Actually I am," Mia smiled at her friend.  "We're continuing the conversation we started earlier."

"Good." The strawberry blonde let out a small hum of approval.  "You deserve better than Scott anyway."

Mia prayed that Scott wasn't inside the locker room as Lydia spoke.  She didn't want him to know about everything.  

"I think you should take a chance when your friend gets out here," Lydia continued.  "Just go for it.  See how he'll respond to something a little more intimate than a kiss on the cheek."

"I don't even know how I feel about this yet, I'm not kissing him."

"What if it'll get Scott to notice you?" Lydia suggested with a smirk.  "You could see how he reacts."

"Lydia, shut up."

The strawberry blonde's jaw dropped at her friend's reply, and watched as the girl simply smirked to herself.  She was surprised by the brunette's comment, but bit her tongue when the door to the locker room opened, revealing Isaac Lahey.

His eyes moved between the two girls, who had stopped their conversation the minute he opened the door.  He wondered what they had been discussing before he walked outside.  They couldn't have been talking about him, especially because Lydia Martin was there.

"You ready?" He moved his gaze back to Mia as he spoke.  His voice was barely above a whisper, and he let out a sigh of relief when the brunette nodded in response.

"Bye Lyds," Mia said with a smile.  "So where are we headed?  The parking lot?"

"Yeah," Isaac quickly replied.  "I have the car today, so we can talk before I drop you off at home. As long as that's okay with you."

"That's perfect." 

Mia walked alongside Isaac as they wandered toward the parking lot.  Her eyes spotted his familiar car, which was a row away from Stiles' Jeep.  They continued on their path until the duo entered the car and placed their bags in the backseat.

The brunette sat down in the passenger's seat and played with the hem of her navy Star Wars shirt while waiting for Isaac to start the car.

"So," Mia started, "are we going to talk here?"

Isaac attempted to swallow his nerves as he looked through his window, only for his gaze to meet Scott McCall's.  His heart dropped at the sight of Mia's other best friend, especially because Scott seemed to be perfect for the brunette.  They had more history together than he did, and that fact made him anxious.

Thankfully, Isaac was far enough away to not see the murderous look in the teen wolf's eyes.  Scott let out a low growl at the sight of his best friend in a car with another boy, especially one who reeked of desire and anxiety.  His anger flared up, causing his claws to pierce his skin, bringing him back into a somewhat calmer mindset.

Mia was oblivious to what either of the boys were feeling as she stared out into space.

"Let's go to the park and we can talk there," Isaac suggested with a small smile.  He turned the engine on before driving out of the parking lot, leaving an angry Scott McCall behind.

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Mia sat down on the swing set and began to sway the seat back and forth while looking at her friend.  The curly haired boy was sitting beside her on a different swing, and seemed to be trapped in his thoughts.  She could only imagine what was going through his mind at the moment, especially after his confession that morning.

"What's on your mind?" She asked with a small smile.

Isaac took a deep breath before turning to face the brunette.

"Would you want to go on a date with me?" Isaac asked with a nervous smile.  "It could be something just to see if you would be okay with it.  If you don't feel the same way I do, I'll understand."

Mia was silent.  Her closest friend outside of her immediate friend group asked her to go on a date.  She didn't know exactly what to think, but decided to take some of Lydia's advice from earlier.

"What's your idea of a date?"

Isaac's eyes widened in shock at the brunette's words.  Could she actually be agreeing to a date with him?

"Are you serious?"

"No, I'm Mia," Mia replied in a joking manner.  "Yes, I'm serious."

"Wow," Isaac breathed.  "I can't believe you said yes."

Mia smiled at her friend before turning her focus to the sky.  The sun had started to set, which meant that it was time for her to go and help Scott out with his furry little problem.

"Could you give me a ride home?" Mia asked while kicking the dirt.  "I promised my dad I would be home for dinner and we're supposed to eat in a bit."

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Mia groaned as she hopped out of the Jeep.  She had waited for Isaac to leave her house before getting in her brother's car.  The duo had to get to Scott's as soon as possible, especially since the full moon was shining above their town.

"Do you have the bag?" She asked while taking out her keys.  Her keychain had a handful of different keys on it, including one with red nail polish on the head, which was given to her by Scott two summers ago.  "And did you bring something as a backup for the chains?"

"Of course," Stiles replied with a smirk.  He watched as his sister unlocked their best friend's front door and followed her inside.  "Take these."

He placed a set of handcuffs into his sister's hands and watched as she shoved them into her pocket.

Mia walked over to the side and let Stiles close the front door as a familiar voice spoke up from the other room.

"Scott?" Melissa called out as she walked out of the living room and found her son's best friends.

"Stiles." Stiles looked nervous at the presence of the nurse while Mia looked calm.

"Hey Melissa," Mia greeted with a smile.

"Key!" Melissa chuckled as she pointed to the key in the brunette's hand.

"You gave it to me in eighth grade," Mia reminded the woman.  "For when I needed help with Spanish and had to meet up with Scott."

"Right," Melissa sighed.  "Where'd you get yours?"

Stiles shrugged before replying.

"I had one made."

"That doesn't surprise me," Melissa sighed once more.  "It scares me, but doesn't surprise me."

Stiles dropped his duffle bag to the floor, causing the chains to rattle at the impact.  Mia internally groaned at his action as it drew Melissa's attention to the dark duffle.

"What is that?"

"Uh, school project." Stiles replied as Mia thought about what to respond next.

"Stiles, he's okay, right?" Melissa asked in a concerned tone.

"Who?  Scott?" Stiles' voice raised due to his nerves.  "Yeah.  Totally." 

"Mia?"

"He's just a bit heartbroken," Mia explained.  "He's also a teenage idiot like this one, so I don't know what to tell you."

Stiles turned to his twin with an offended expression on his face.  

"He just doesn't talk to me that much anymore, not like he used to." Mia could hear the sadness in the nurse's voice.

"Well, he's had a bit of a rough week."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Melissa sighed.  "Yeah, um.  Okay, uh, be careful tonight."

"Of course," Mia instantly replied.

"Full moon," Melissa spoke while looking through her purse for her keys.

The twins stood, flabbergasted at the woman's words.  There was no way she could know about what happened a month ago, was there?

"What?" They asked in unison.

"There's a full moon tonight." She chuckled.  "You two should see how the E.R. gets.  Brings out all the nut jobs."

The twins let out a sigh of relief while looking at Melissa.

"You know, it's, um, actually where they came up with the word lunatic." Melissa walked past the siblings toward the door, not noticing the expression on Stiles' face.

"Bye Melissa," Mia called out as the woman locked the door behind her.

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Mia followed her brother into Scott's room, nearly tripping over the duffle bag as he turned on the lights.

"Oh my god!" The twins exclaimed in unison.  Their gazes were transfixed on their best friend, who was sitting in a chair on the opposite corner of the room.

"Dude," Stiles started while Mia tried to find her own pulse.  "You scared the hell out of us.  Your mom said you weren't home yet."

The brunette felt nervous under her best friend's gaze, almost as if she were a deer and he were a hungry wolf.  Her gaze fell to the floor as her pulse began to race.  She followed behind Stiles, who dropped the duffle on the floor in front of Scott.

"I came in through the window." Scott's voice was in a low monotone, which did not put Mia at ease.

"Since when are you Spider-Man?" Mia questioned in a sassy tone.  She didn't understand why this full moon already felt so much worse than the last one.

"Well, let's get this set up." Stiles bent down and opened the duffle bag.  "I want you to see what I bought."

"I'm fine." Scott's voice was darker.  "I'm just gonna lock the door and go to bed early tonight."

"You sure about that?" Stiles asked.  He tapped his sister's ankle and gestured for her to get behind him, away from the murderous looking werewolf.  "Cause you've got this kind of serial killer look going on in your eyes, and I'm hoping it's the full moon taking effect, cause it's really starting to freak me out."

"You look like you're going to kill someone, Scott," Mia continued.  "And I don't want to die tonight."

"I'm fine." Mia knew he was off.  She wasn't stupid.  Scott sounded like he was about to try and kill some people and then play with their bones as if he were a dog.  "You should go now."

"Alright, I'll leave." Stiles started to stand up, only to receive a glare from his sister.

"Bullshit." Mia spat.  "I'm not leaving mister werewolf alone on a full moon, especially because he looks like he's gonna murder someone."

"Would you just at least look in the bag and see what we brought you?  You know, maybe you use it, maybe you don't.  Sound good?"

Mia watched as Scott stood up from his chair.  She could practically feel her brother's nerves skyrocket alongside her own.  The murderous looking teen wolf stalked over to them and took the chains into his hand.

"You think I'm gonna let you put these on and chain me up like a dog?"

Stiles held his hand out behind his back and Mia placed a set of handcuffs in them, knowing that things were about to go south.  Scott placed the chains back in the bag as he looked between the duo.

"Actually no." Mia smirked at the teen wolf as Stiles spoke.  He rushed forward and handcuffed Scott to his radiator before pulling Mia toward the door.

"What the hell are you doing?" Scott shouted.  He pulled at the handcuffs as he tried to break free.

"Protecting you from yourself, Scooter." Mia could feel her heart beating in her throat as she spoke.

"And giving you some payback," Stiles continued, "for making out with Lydia."

Mia's heart dropped.  Scott had made out with Lydia.  No wonder why the strawberry blonde was encouraging Mia to move on.  She had made out with the boy Mia was in love with.

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Mia stood against the door frame and looked at Scott's window.  She told Stiles that she would watch over Scott while he got the werewolf water.

"You're angry," Scott muttered.  The brunette brought her gaze to the boy on the floor, who was staring at her.  "It's suffocating."

"You're delusional Scott," Mia scoffed.  She turned her gaze toward the baseball bat that was in the opposite corner of the room.  "You're acting like this because of the full moon, so please shut up."

"You're lying.  Just like you lie every day about what you feel." Mia snapped her gaze to Scott, who was sitting on the floor with a dangerous look in his eyes.  "You're a terrible liar.  You hate Allison because I like her and you probably hate Lydia right now because she made out with me."

Mia looked away from the teen wolf and tried to keep her heart beat steady.  Was she really that obvious?  How long could he have known?

"It's okay," Scott continued, sounding more like himself.  "We can talk about it for a while."

Mia smiled at the sound of her friend's normal voice.  Maybe he was in more control than Stiles had thought.

"Come on," Scott urged.  He watched as she moved closer to him, but internally groaned when she sat on the edge of the bed.  "I don't bite."

"I'm comfortable here." Mia tapped the mattress with a small smile.  "And I don't want to sit on the floor."

"I've known for a while," Scott started, instantly silencing the brunette.  "I didn't understand at first, but then I realized.  You're hopeless, really."

Mia's heart shattered.

"You're pining over the only guy who gave you the time of day for your entire life, how pathetic is that?" Scott continued, his voice growing deeper with each word.  "Every time I've seen you, you reek of lust and it's overwhelming.  It's almost as pathetic as your need to be noticed."

Mia's eyes stung from his words.  She bit her lip to hold back the tears that threatened to fall as he continued to speak.

"The only person who seems to like you is your own brother, and even that's only because of blood." He pulled at the handcuffs.  "You're a nuisance to everyone around you."

"Stop it," Mia whispered.  "You wouldn't say this if it wasn't the full moon."

"You really think so?" Scott chuckled lowly.  "For once I don't have to pretend to like you."

"You're lying."

Scott darkly chuckled to himself.  He knew Mia's worst fears better than his own, and the pull of the full moon made it easy to use those against her.  He could see the tears glistening in her eyes as she tried to keep herself together.

"For the first time, I'm not."

"Mia," Stiles called from outside the room.  He walked in and saw the scene in front of him.  Scott was still chained against the radiator and looked at Mia as if she was his prey.  Mia was on the verge of tears, and he could feel the pain from her nails digging into her palms.  "Mia."

She snapped her gaze to the door and stood up from the bed.  Scott glared at her as she moved toward her brother, who had a dog bowl and a water bottle in his hands. The teen wolf watched as the hyperactive boy pulled his sister into the hallway.

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"I'm gonna kill you!"

Mia squeezed her eyes closed as her best friend threw something at Stiles.

"You kissed her, Scott, okay?  You kissed Lydia.  That's like the one girl that I ever, " Stiles started before looking at the door.  "And then you did that to my sister.  You went at her as if she was someone you hated.  And you know, the past three hours, I've been thinking, it's probably just the full moon.  You know, he doesn't even know what he's doing, and tomorrow he'll be totally back to normal.  He probably won't even remember what a complete dumbass he's been.  A son of a bitch, a freaking unbelievable piece of crap friend.  He won't remember that he broke my sister's heart."

"She kissed me," Scott replied.

"What?" She could hear the disbelief in her twin's voice.

"I didn't kiss her.  She kissed me." Stiles walked toward the door and stood next to Mia, who was leaning against the wall.  "She would have done a lot more, too.  You should've seen the way she had her hands all over me.  She would have done anything I wanted.  Anything!"

The twins slid down the wall until they felt the floor with their hands, matching hurt filled expressions on their faces.

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"Mia please let me out," Scott pleaded from his room.  "It's the full moon, I swear."

Mia laced her hand with her twin's as her friend continued to plead for them to free him.  She could hear the pain in his voice as he called out to them, but only heard the echo of his words from earlier.  His voice echoed in her mind, calling her pathetic and telling her that he never liked her.

"You know I wouldn't do any of this on purpose," Scott pleaded.  "You know I would never say any of that."

Mia leaned her head against the wall while trying to silence the echo in her mind.  

"Please, Stiles, let me out.  It's starting to hurt." She could hear his breathing quicken from where she sat.  "It's not like the first time.  It's the full moon.  It's Allison breaking up with me."

The younger Stilinski squeezed her brother's hand at the mention of the taller brunette.  She knew that she would have to explain everything tomorrow, but that could wait until after the full moon was over.

"I know," Scott's words stopped as he took a breath.  "That it's not just taking a break.  She broke up with me."

There was a silence as the twins exchanged a glance.

"And it's killing me.  I feel completely hopeless.  Just please, let me out."

"I can't," Stiles whispered.

"Mia, please."

"No." A tear slid down the brunette's cheek as she realized how much pain the teen wolf was in.

Mia could hear Scott struggling from his spot in the room, along with his angry grunts.  He let out a pained shout, which caused the twins to cover their ears in hopes of blocking it out.

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It hurt Mia to hear her best friend in pain.  She squeezed her eyes shut in hopes of preventing any more tears from slipping down her cheeks while clasping her hands over her ears.

She knew that he was in pain, but she also knew that if they let the teen wolf go, he would hurt someone.  They couldn't risk that.

Mia turned to face her brother, who had tears in his eyes.  She knew it hurt him to listen to Scott be in so much pain, but they both knew the risk of letting him go.

There was a roar and then a dead silence.  Mia turned to face the door at the same time as her twin.

"Scott, are you okay?" Stiles called out.  He looked toward his sister before standing up and opening the door.

"Scooter?"

Mia walked behind Stiles into their best friend's bedroom, and her jaw dropped at the sight.  The handcuffs were broken in half and laid beside bloody steaks on the floor.  Her eyes snapped up from the bloody handcuffs and saw that the window was opened.

"Come on," she insisted.  Her hand tugged at her brother's wrist as she pulled him out of the bedroom.

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Mia felt her heart slam against her chest as they pulled up to a clearing, where there were cop cars and an ambulance.  The girl's face paled as her brother repeated the word no over and over again.

They exited the car as two paramedics pushed a stretcher that had a cloth over a body.  

"Dad?" Stiles called out.  Mia frantically looked around the clearing for their father, who should have been there.  He should have been visible to the twins.

"Dad?" Mia's voice cracked as she jogged beside her twin, who approached one of the deputies that was on duty.

She watched him turn the man around and felt her heart fall.

"Has anyone seen our," Stiles began in a frantic tone.  "Has anyone seen our dad?"

He pushed past a deputy, who had placed his hands on the twins' shoulders in favor of the body on the stretcher.

Stiles squeezed his sister's hand at the sight of the corpse's charred hand.

"Stiles.  Mia." Their father's voice called out from behind the duo.  The twins turned to face the sheriff and let out a sigh of relief.  "What are you two doing here?"

Mia wrapped her arms around her father at the same time as her brother, calmer now that she was sure he was safe.  She felt him pat her back, obviously confused at his children's actions.

The duo walked alongside their father, blissfully unaware of the hunters who sat in a black truck at the edge of the crime scene.

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Chris Argent sat next to his sister as they stared out at the crime scene.  They watched the people move around until finding the Sheriff standing with his two children.

"That one's Stiles?" He asked before noticing the girl standing beside the sheriff.  "And I assume that's Mia."

"Another two friends of Allison," Kate replied in a monotone.  

"Are you gonna tell me about that talk you had with her?"

"You tell me something first." She turned to face her older brother.  "That night you came across those two betas, one of them was smaller, right?"

The older Argent hummed in response to the question.

"Well, were they just smaller?  Or could they have been younger, too?"

The two hunters looked out at the twins, who continued speaking with their father, completely unaware of the threat to them.

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Author's Note

Hey everyone!!  I'm sorry for the wait between chapters, but I wanted to ensure that this chapter was as good as I could make it.  This chapter now takes the crown for longest chapter of the story as it is over 7.4K words long!  What was your favorite part of the chapter?  Was it either of the Misaac scenes?  Let me know!!  Don't forget to vote and comment because they always inspire me to write.

- Daniella

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PUBLISHED: July 21, 2020

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