Baseball Bats and Sour Wolves

Chapter 15

The next time Stiles is conscious he's aware they're in the loft. He can tell by the couch that he's laying on and the way the smell of coffee drifts through the loft, it also smells like Derek, Peter, and Stiles. That's probably one of his spark things, or maybe he's imaging shit. He groans and it actually becomes a noise, he still can't open his eyes though.

He's pretty sure the liquid fire has gotten worse, it almost feels as though it's spreading further. There's a cool cloth placed on his forehead and Stiles sighs softly, trying for a smile. He can hear voices, but can't make out what they're saying. One voice, Derek's, is talking to him and only him. Which makes it easier to listen, he's so close to Stiles that he can't not listen. 

Derek tells him to fight and that he needs to get better, because the Hale and Stilinski families don't need anymore losses. Stiles smiles, and Derek's voice breaks as he's talking to him. Stiles feels his heart break, he doesn't want to do this to them, make them worry like this. But his damn eyes won't open.

He sends a small sense of reassurance and determination, Derek laughs softly. Telling him to keep that stubborn spirit and fight. Stiles still can't figure out what Peter and his Father are talking about, but he doesn't think it matters too much. He'll know if they want him to.

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The next time Stiles wakes, it's his Father sitting next to him. Replacing the cold cloth on his forehead, and Stiles sighs happily as it helps the liquid fire in his veins. He's not sure where Derek and Peter are, but Stiles knows they're safe, he can feel it through their pack bonds.

His Dad is crying, no sobbing. Stiles doesn't understand it at first, he's sitting with him, they're both okay. Then his Dad starts talking about losing his Mom and how much it hurt, Stiles doesn't understand where he's going with that statement, but then he says that he can't lose Stiles too. Can't watch as Stiles dies, he can't go through that again, he won't let Stiles die if he can do something to save him.

Stiles feels tears pool in his eyes, he doesn't want to worry his Dad like this. Noah shutters a breath, and wipes at Stiles' left eye, he tells Stiles not to cry. He just wants him to fight his way back to all of them, his family and friends, wants him to be okay. If anything that makes Stiles want to cry more, but the tears don't come.

Stiles fades back into unconsciousness, welcoming the darkness.

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Stiles keeps burning up and they aren't sure why, they had Melissa come over to check him over, but she said that he was fine from the crash, maybe a minor concussion, but that was it. She wasn't too sure about any broken bones, or anything wrong on the inside, but she check his lungs and heart, both sounding good. He was fine, but he wasn't waking up. 

While Derek sat with Stiles, Peter and Noah talked. Peter thinks that whatever is happening to Stiles isn't related to the crash at all, he thinks the witch did something to Stiles. Noah asks questions, not completely understanding, Peter states that he can't explain it because he isn't sure. 

Peter wants to go after the witch, but both Noah and Derek convince him to wait for Scott and the others to get here. Peter's eyes shine, and he looks at Derek who seems to get what his Uncle isn't saying. Noah figures he'll find out what these two are planning when everyone else does, or they'll tell him. 

Noah guesses that Stiles can hear them when he's conscious, especially when he sees a tear escape Stiles' eye. Noah isn't sure why he's not opening his eyes, or speaking to them, but he assumes it's because Stiles isn't able to. Stiles is a chatterbox, he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to talk their ears off.

Noah sits by his side and dunk the cloth in the cold water bowl they have sitting on the coffee table, and then he places it back on Stiles' head, who sighs rather happily. Noah almost laughs at the pleased hum, Stiles seems to enjoy the cool, almost like his insides are burning up.

_______

When Scott finally shows up, Peter throws him into the closest wall and snarls so furiously that even Noah flinches. Scott is about to snarl back at him, about to growl at Derek asking why he's even here, but Peter beats him to it.

"Where the fuck have you been." He growls and Scott frowns closing his mouth.

"I didn't get the message right away." Scott states simply, not understanding why Peter sounds so upset, they said Stiles was fine.

"Stiles is  in pain, all the time. He was in a car crash and you didn't come until an hour after we messaged you!" Peter screams and Scott stares blankly at Peter.

"Why do you even care?" Scott asks bluntly and Derek blinks. Wincing in sympathy of Scott, who's most likely going to have a broken nose in a couple minutes. But Peter stays very still staring at Scott with empty eyes.

"Because he's my pack." Peter lifts a lip and snarls, something that almost sounds like he's claiming Stiles.

"Stiles is in my pack." Scott growls, and Peter laughs bitterly.

"See you ask me why I care, but why do you? You don't even know when he's not in your pack." Peter grins at Scott manically. Derek briefly wonders if his Uncle is about to go feral again.

If Stiles dies, Derek thinks they both might just turn feral, and isn't that a scary thought. Not able to control the wolves that hunger to hunt, run, and kill. Derek doesn't want Stiles to die, they're pack, Derek, Peter and Noah have lost enough. They don't need to lose anything else.

"Please fight Stiles." Derek whispers, brushing Stiles' hair from his eyes. Stiles still and suddenly lets out a ear piercing scream of pain. His body begins thrashing around the couch, and he's clawing at his chest, which leave angry red marks across his bare chest.

Peter is away from Scott and by Stiles' side between one blink and the next. He places his arms on Stiles forearms and holds them down, not allowing him to hurt himself, Stiles begins to kick. Derek rushes forward and hold his legs down so he won't hurt himself. His screaming doesn't let up, and it hurts both Peter and Derek to hear him in pain. The Sheriff is at the front of the couch hovering over Stiles face, and yelling his name, trying to wake him up. It doesn't work, Stiles keeps screaming.