CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE:
I MISSED YOU

     "THIS IS A LOT HARDER than I anticipated." Elaine huffed.

     "What? Did you think being a witch was easy at first?" Rebekah questioned, letting out a laugh as she shook her head. Elaine shrugged her shoulders. "Elaine, I have to admit, you are more powerful than I had originally imagined you to be. More powerful than I, dare I say."

     "Really?" Elaine questioned, cocking her head slightly.

     "Elaine, do you know how long it took me to  do a locator spell? You've done it all on your own, with no help minus my book. That spell is for advanced witches. Your power only continues to grow stronger day by day." A sigh fell from Rebekah's lips, making Elaine frown.

     "Why do you say that like it's a bad thing?"

     Rebekah sighed before looking at her daughter. "Take this warning as you will. That saying with great power comes great responsibility is true. The more power you receive, the more you have the responsibility to keep it under control. Whilst also trying to avoid turning dark."

     "Dark? What do you mean?"

     "There's such thing as dark magic, but there is also a thing such as a dark witch. One that becomes too power hungry becomes a dark witch. Dark magic, however, is completely different. It's a magic that'll eat you up from the inside until it fully possesses you and makes you lose sight of who you truly are. I do not want that to happen to you, Elaine. So, I need for you to be careful, alright? Dark creatures, dark magic, avoid it at all cost if possible."

       "Dark magic." Elaine mumbled. "I think I read a section about that in the book you gave me." Rebekah nodded and Elaine furrowed her eyebrows. "If you didn't want me to mess with dark magic, why give me a book that has dark spells inside of it?"

     "Sometimes you have to do things that you don't want to do." She answered with a sigh. "But do not tap into the dark side of your magic unless it is absolutely necessary, understand?"

     "Yes, I understand."

Elaine pulled up at her house, smiling as soon as she had saw her brother peek out from the window in his room, immediately running down the steps when he saw who it was. Elaine got out of the car and let out a laugh as Scott ran up to her, pulling her into a hug before swinging her around.

     "I've missed you." Scott told her, making Elaine beam up at him.

     "I've missed you too, Scott."

     "First off, a car?"

     "Rebekah gave it to me." Elaine admitted with a smile. "It's in my name. And I still have to pay half of it off, seeing as I refused to let her pay for the entirety of it. But, I officially have a car."

     "Now you can drive me around!"

     "Oh please. Don't think I don't see that new motorcycle over there." Elaine scoffed as her brother smiled. She walked to the back of the car, opening the trunk. Scott grabbed half of her bags whilst she grabbed the others.

     "How was it?"

     "Honestly? It was kind of refreshing almost. I did a lot of practice. And when I say a lot, I mean non-stop twenty-four hour practice." Elaine admitted with a sigh. Scott furrowed his eyebrows and Elaine chuckled. "I slept, don't worry."

     Scott pulled the front door open for her, to which she smiled in thanks. "Well, I'm glad you're back. Four months without you has been. . . an adventure." They walked up the steps, placing the bags on Elaine's bed before she started to unpack them as Scott sat on her bed. "So. . . we need to talk."

     "Oh, I don't like the sound of that." Elaine spoke, glancing at him as she put her clothes in her drawer. "What about?"

     "Before you left. . . I may or may not have seen that little moment you and Stiles had together." Elaine glanced at him with widened eyes. "Mhm. Of course, he told me about it after you had driven off, but please for the love of god tell him you're back before I go insane."

     "Why do you say it like that?" Elaine asked with a laugh.

     "He's been talking about you non-stop. He even went on a three hour rant about how stupid he was for not realizing earlier that he was in love you, etcetera, etcetera." Scott answered. "Now, mind you, I'm all up for listening to some ranting from Stiles, because half of the time it's amusing. But, before you see him, I just gotta ask one thing." Elaine rose an eyebrow at him. "What exactly are you two?"

     Elaine paused in her movement, frowning slightly as she pursed her lips. "I'm not exactly sure. We only shared one little kiss. Nothing more."

     "Beside the I love you's" Scott added.

     Elaine sighed. "I've just gotten back in town. I'll figure whatever it is out, after I've had a breather. I can't do anything magic related for at least two weeks. Just thinking about it makes my head hurt."

     "Well, then, you can come with me and Stiles tonight to watch me get my tattoo." Scott shrugged.

     "You're getting a tattoo?" Elaine questioned. "What exactly is this tattoo?"

     "Two circles around my bicep." He answered. Elaine just rose an eyebrow at him.

     "Two circles. That's it."

     "Yep."

     "Should I get a matching square to go with it?"

     "Haha."

Elaine laughed in amusement before putting up the rest of her stuff. The two sat there, catching each other up on everything that had happened in their lives. Elaine hadn't realized how much she had truly missed her brother until he had bounded out of the house, ready to hug her. When it became dark out, Scott had decided to call Stiles to come pick them up. When he arrived, Scott gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder before the two walked out and towards the jeep.

     It took a moment for him to realize it was her, but when he did, Stiles was quick to get out of his jeep. "You're back."

     "I'm back." Elaine smiled before the two hugged one another. "I missed you."

     "I missed you too, Laney."

When they arrived at the tattoo parlor, Elaine and Stiles stood there as Scott sat in the chair, having drawn out what he wanted for his tattoo.

     "Boy, it's a good thing you drew me a picture." The artists sarcastically spoke.

     "Hey, Scott! You sure you don't want something like this?" Stiles spoke, holding up a drawing of what looked almost like the Kanima. Elaine and Scott both looked at the boy, making him glance between them. "Too soon?" The two nodded their heads and Stiles nodded before flipping through the book once more. "I don't know, man. Are you sure about this? I mean, these things are pretty permanent, you know?"

     "I'm not changing my mind." Scott told him.

     "Okay, but two bands?"

     Scott shrugged his shoulders. " I just like it."

     "I've already had this argument with him." Elaine spoke with a sigh, her arms crossed over her chest as she looked at her own tattoo options, debating on whether or not she should get one.

     "But don't you think your first tattoo should have some sort of meaning? You know, or something?"

     "Getting a tattoo means something." Scott answered.

     "I don't think―︎"

     "He's right. Tattooing goes back thousands of years. The Tahitian word tatua means 'to leave a mark,' like a rite of passage." The artists spoke, making the three teenagers looks at him.

     "Yeah, see? He gets it!" Scott said, pointing to the man.

     "He's covered in tattoos, Scott―︎literally." Stiles argued.

     "Hey, what if I get this one?" Elaine questioned, showing it to the two boys. "I don't know why but ever since. . . that happened, I've always wanted some kind of reminder. And I really like it." It was a tattoo that was placed on the wrist, it was a heart beat with a heart at the end with the words "One Day At A Time" written underneath. "Or, I want to get a rose behind my ear or three stars." She continued to flip through the book. "Oh, or this one! It's a crescent moon with stars surrounding and falling from it."

     "One tattoo at a time, yeah?" Stiles suggested, taking the book from her hands so she wouldn't get anymore ideas.

     "Okay, you ready?" The artists asked, looking at Scott. "You ain't got any problems with needles, do you?"

     "Nope." Scott answered.

     "I tend to get a little squeamish, though, so. . ." Just as he said that, Stiles fell backwards, passed out. Elaine glanced down at the boy with a raised eyebrow, glancing back towards her brother. When he had finished getting the tattoo, Elaine shrugged her shoulders before deciding that she only lived once. And of course, she chose one of the most painful places to get the tattoo, the inside of her wrist.

     "One day at a time." Elaine breathed, watching as the artists wrapped up the tattoo, keeping it protected. After getting an ice pack for Stiles' head, the three headed out, entering the boy's jeep.

     "Oh, man. . ." Scott groaned.

     "You alright?" Elaine questioned.

     "Kinda burns."

     "Yes, you just had your skin tabbed about one hundred thousand times with a needle, both of you." Stiles retorted.

     "Yeah, but I don't think it's supposed to feel like this." Scott answered him. Scott quickly grunted in pain. "No, it's definitely not supposed to feel like this! I gotta take this thing off."

     "No, no, no, no, Scott! Oh, Scott, please stop!" Stiles quickly spoke, shaking his head in discomfort and disgust. Scott unwrapped his arm and Elaine's eyes widened at the red that surrounded the tattoo.

     "I don't think that's supposed to happen." Elaine told her brother.

     "Oh no." Scott breathed. "No, come on." The three watched as the tattoo disappeared. He looked between the two with a sigh. "It healed."

     "Aw, thank God. I hated it." Stiles admitted, making Scott look at him. "Sorry."

     "I thought we were going to be tattoo buddies." Elaine pouted. "Now I'm going to be the only one getting yelled at." The three drove on the road, with Elaine leaning back and closing her eyes, clenching her jaw every so often as a pain shot up her arm. "Why did you two idiots let me get a tattoo on one of the worst possible places?"

     "I tried to warn you, not to get one." Stiles defended.

     "That is not true, at all." Elaine told him.

     "Ignoring you now. Have you talked to Allison?" Stiles asked, turning his attention towards Scott whilst Elaine scoffed.

     "Nah, we agreed to give each other the summer―︎no texts, no calls."

     "So, then how do you know she won't be back at school, then?" Stiles questioned.

     "After everything that happened, I'm not sure she's coming back at all." Scott admitted with a sigh.

     "I think she is." Stiles said, making Elaine furrow her eyebrows before turning her attention to the car beside them only to realize it was Lydia and Allison. That's when Elaine cursed to herself. She forgot to tell Lydia she was back in town. "I'd say it's pretty definite, you know. . . Like, one-hundred-percent. . ." Scott turned his head to the car beside of them, stopping and furrowing his eyebrows when he saw it was Allison.

     That's when the two made eye contact, making Scott quickly snap his head away. "Oh, my God! Can we just drive, please? Stiles?"

     "Scott, it's a red light!" Stiles argued. "I think we should talk to her. I just think we should say something."

     "No! No, no, Stiles! Come on! Oh, my God, dude, no!" Scott whined, watching as Stiles rolled down the window.

     "Hey!" Stiles called waving, and Lydia was quick to speed off. Stiles paused for a second. "You know, they probably didn't see us."

     "No, I assure you, they saw us." Elaine told the boy. "Nice try though." When the light turned green, Stiles moved forward.

     "What are you doing?" Scott asked.

     "I'm driving. . .?" Stiles frowned.

     "We're right behind them." Scott pointed out.

     "Okay, well, do you see any turns?" Stiles shot back.

     "I don't want it to look like we're following them." Scott told the boy.

     "Well, what do you want me to do?"

     "I don't know―︎anything?" Stiles sighed before stopping the jeep.

     "Are you serious?" Elaine deadpanned. "Dude, just do a U-turn and take a different route."

     "But I'm already going this way." Stiles argued. That's when they watched as Lydia's car stopped as well, making the three furrow their eyebrows. Elaine sighed before shaking her head.

     "Stiles, open your door."

     "What, why―︎" However, the boy was cut off by Elaine opening the door with the flick of her hand, quick to crawl over the boy and get out of the car. She closed the door before Stiles could say anything, the two boys watching as the girl made her way towards Lydia's car. That's when she stopped, frowning at the deer that was running in the middle of the road before it ran straight into Lydia's car.

     "Oh my god." Elaine breathed before quickly sprinting forward as Lydia and Allison climbed out, screaming. Elaine grabbed onto Lydia. Stiles and Scott quickly appeared, with Scott tending to Allison. "Lyds, are you okay?"

     "It came out of nowhere!" Lydia cried.

     "Are you hurt?" Elaine quickly questioned, examining her best friend for any sight of glass penetrating her skin.

     "It ran right into us!" Lydia yelled.

     "Are you okay?" Scott asked Allison who nodded her head.

     "I'm okay."

     "Well, I'm not okay! I am totally freaking out! How the hell does it just run into us?" Scott and Elaine exchanged looks before carefully walking over to the dear that was lying halfway through Lydia's windshield. "I saw its eyes right before it hit us, and it was like it. . . It was like it was crazy."

     "No, it was scared." Elaine denied, placing her hand on the creatures body, remembering what her birth mother had taught her on how to sense different waves of emotions.

     "Actually, it was terrified." Scott spoke, making the two glance up at one another before turning their attention to the other three.

     "One day at a time." Elaine repeated to herself before taking a deep breath before her eyes caught something, making her turn her head, only to let out a shaky breath when she saw it was a full moon.