Chapter Thirty-Six

Have You Seen Me?

I lightly shove Scott, his phone was ringing. "Scott, your..." I let out a yawn, "phone is ringing." I rub the sleep from my eyes while Scott answers, sitting up. "Hey man, what's up?" I flicked on the lamp on the bedside table, squinting at the sudden light.

"Stiles?" Scott questioned, his voice slightly pitched. I rose a brow, confused. Why is my brother calling at... I looked to the clock, midnight? "Stiles? You there?" I leaned into Scott so I could faintly hear the other line. "Scott? hey, I'm here..." Scott frowned, "Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

Scott clicked the line to speaker phone, standing up from the bed while pulling on a shirt. "Scott, I don't know where I am... I don't know how I got here... I think I was sleepwalking..." I met eyes with Scott.

Stiles was sleepwalking? "Ask him to describe his surroundings," I mumbled to Scott, also getting out of bed to pull on some clothes. "Okay, um, can you see anything? Just tell me what you see?"

I pulled on Scott's hoodie and a pair of sweats. "Uh, it's dark. It's hard to see. I think there's something wrong with my--" The line cut dead. "Call him back." I spoke immediately. Scott nodded, picking up the phone and dialing Stiles.

"Stiles?" Scott spoke hopeful before, "come on..." He hung up and dialed again. I began chewing on the inside of my cheeks, holding my phone in my hands, ready to call my dad at the drop of a hat. "God, come on, come on..." He dialed again. "Stiles?"

Scott sighed, putting it back on speaker, "I don't think I can get out of here. I can't move." Scott ran his hand through his hair, pulling at the strands while looking at me with worried eyes. "Where are you?"

"I don't know. I don't know. It's too dark. I can't see much, and something's wrong with my leg. It's stuck on something, and it's... I think it's bleeding..." I took the phone from Scott's hand, keeping it on speaker.

I took a deep breath. "Stiles, it's Victoria, how bad is your leg?" I waited for a response. "Stiles, how bad is it?" I could feel my eyes welling with tears. I can't do this, I can't have him scare me again. Scott took the phone. "Stiles, are you there? Can you hear me?"

"Ah, there's some kind of smell down here. Something smells terrible. It's brutal. My eyes are watering." Stiles gagged and I felt my heart racing. He's hurt. He's lost and he's hurt. "Okay, listen. I'm calling your dad--"

"No, no, no, no, no, don't--" I cut him off, "but dad--" Stiles was begging, "Don't. Just please, don't call him. Promise you won't. He already worries too much. Victoria, please--" I pulled at the sleeves of my sweater.

"But what if we can't find you? Stiles, we can't make a promise like that..." I shook my head, feeling hopeless. We don't even know where he is and now he's asking me not to call our dad? "No, no, no, just please.... please don't call him. Come find me. You can do it. He doesn't have to know. Scott, you can find me."

Scott shook his head at me, wide eyes. "I don't know if I can do this..." I bit my lip shaking my head. "Oh, I gotta call you back. I have to turn the phone off." I gasped. "No, Stiles, wait!" I could hear his voice cut through, "I'm gonna call you back."

"Stiles, NO. I swear to god--" He hung up. Scott and I looked to each other, both of us had mirrored expressions of worry. "Well, go get Isaac. We need to find my brother, Scott." He nodded while I went to grab my shoes.

"ISAAC! Isaac, get up! I need your help!"

Scott called Stiles again after Isaac and I were both dressed. We all stood in the kitchen with Scott's phone between us on speaker. "Hey, Stiles--" "Did you call him? Did you call my dad?" He sounded worried.

About dad knowing? Why would that worry him? "No, just Isaac. We're coming to find you. Can you figure out where you are? Try to find something and tell us where to look." I've resorted to biting my finger nails, the nerves too much for me to handle.

"It's a basement... I think-I think I'm in some kind of basement..." I sighed slightly, "like a cellar? Are you in a house?" Stiles sighed, "no, it looks bigger-- like, industrial. I think there's a furnace. But it's cold. It's freezing down here."

Scott, Isaac, and I all looked to each other. Each one of us trying to put together where Stiles might be. An industrial basement? With a furnace? That could be anywhere, "I gotta turn the- I gotta turn the phone off, Scott. It's going to die."

I shook my head, "Wait, wait, Stiles! You have to, you have to tell us what else there is! What do you see?" I was panicking again. Why did he have to keep hanging up? "The phone's dying. I can't talk. I have to go. Please..." He was whispering.

"Stiles...." Scott began, "why are you whispering?" We all waited for his answer. "Because, I think there's someone in here with me...."

I shook my head, stepping away from the phone. Scott tried to put his hand on my shoulder but I shrugged him off, throwing his hand away from me. "NO! This can't, this isn't happening... Why does this keep happening? First dad is missing and now... now Stiles... No, I can't, where is he?"

Scott pulled me into his chest, holding me while I cried. He held me tightly, making me feel so safe and protected. "Don't worry, Tori. We'll find him. I promise you, I won't stop until I find him."

I pulled away slightly, nodding my head. "Okay, okay... let's find him."

We decided to go to my house first, to look for clues as to where he was and for the boys to try and catch his scent. I tried having a vision but, of course my ability wouldn't work the one time we really needed it. I think it's because I'm too emotional and stressed out.

Lydia and Aiden were already in Stiles' room when we got there. Red strings were everywhere, strung throughout his room like a puzzle we had to try and figure out. "Did Stiles call you guys too?" I asked, sending Lydia a sad smile.

"I heard it." Lydia explained and I nodded, understanding. The boys, however were frowning in confusion. "Don't ask-- it gets more confusing when you ask," Aiden sighed. Isaac nodded, "Okay..."

"Not as confusing as this..." Lydia motioned to the red string. I wet my lips, "red is for unsolved cases... he probably thinks he's part of an unsolved case." I ran my finger along one of the red strings, thrumming it slightly before turning back to everyone.

Isaac nodded, "Or is an unsolved case..." Lydia frowned, "Hold on-- is he still out there? You don't know where he is?" I bit my lip, shaking my head. I looked to Scott, asking him to explain. "He said he was in an industrial basement somewhere."

"We came here to get a better scent," Isaac further explained. "What else did he say?" Lydia questioned and I could see it. She was worried for him to. I swallowed. "He's hurt. His leg... it's bleeding. He said it's cold and there's a bad smell? I don't... we don't know where he is, Lyds."

Aiden frowned, "tonight's the coldest night of the year. It's going to drop into the twenties." I closed my eyes, taking a breath at that. "We know. That's why we need to find him, soon." Lydia put a hand on my arm, "what did your dad say?"

I shook my head, "he begged us not to call him. We haven't told him yet. We were gonna head over there after we stopped here if the boys didn't find anything. Which they didn't." Lydia nodded, "okay well, you should head to the station now. Aiden and I will catch up. There's something here..." She walked over to the strings again.

"Okay, be safe." I smiled at her before following the boys out of the house and toward the car. "We have to find Stiles..." I whispered to Scott while climbing into the passenger seat, Isaac sat in the back.

Scott nodded at me, "we will."

I began crying the moment I saw my dad, which only worried him more. "Victoria, what's wrong?" I shook my head, "he's gone dad, Stile, he-he called Scott and he didn't know where he was. He said he's somewhere cold and his, his leg.... it's bleeding. We don't know where he is but, he thinks someone's with him!"

My dad went crazy after that, running through the station shouting orders. Everyone was working on the case, it was amazing. "If his Jeep is gone, that's where we start. 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 be hypothermic. Let's move fast. Let's think fast."

He walked over to Scott, Isaac, and myself. "You three, come with me." We followed him into his office. I sat down while the boys stayed standing. My knee was bounding uncontrollably and my nails were now nonexistent, the pink nail polish chipped off as well.

"Okay... is there anything you need to tell me that I can't tell anyone out there?" My dad asked, his hands on his desk. His face and body looked both tired and full of energy at the same time. He was running on no sleep and adrenaline. Great.

"Lydia knew he was missing," Scott began. My dad nodded, "can she help find him?" Isaac frowned, "well, she's working on it." My dad sighed, "anything else?" I wet my lips, dropping my hands from my mouth. "I've been trying to have a vision but, I don't see anything. Oh, and Scott called Allison and Derek to help."

My dad's eyes went wide. "What? Visions?" Oops, did I forget to tell him about me? Shit. Before I could explain, Parrish walked in. "We got it, sir. We found the Jeep." I breathed out a sigh of relief. Thank god. Now we could find my brother.

I took the key from the Jeep with a frown, "it's dead. He probably left the headlights on again." I moved to the front of the Jeep after locking it, going to stand by Scott and my dad. "Why would he come here?" Scott wondered.

"Let's find out." My dad began moving toward the hospital entrance and all I could do was follow, I didn't really have another option. They were my only hope at finding my brother. I had to take it.

Walking into the hospital, we were instantly met with Melissa who looked just as freaked out as myself. Thank god I'm not the only one wearing my emotions on my face. This whole night has been my worst nightmare being relived.

When dad went missing I didn't know how to cope but, with Stiles missing... it was like a part of myself was missing too. I don't want to sound cliche when I say this but, Stiles really is my other half.

I can't lose him. I wouldn't be able cope with him gone. I wouldn't be able to function and neither would my dad. My brother means too much. "Security is already doing sweeps of each floor." Melissa informed, looking at my father and Scott and then me.

Her eyes softened at the sight of me. "What about the basement?" Scott nodded at my dad, "let's go check. Follow me, I know where it is." I waved them off, "I'm gonna wait here with Melissa."

Scott nodded, giving me a kiss on the head before leading my dad down a hallway. I turned to Melissa and immediately felt like crying again. She frowned, "oh, honey..." She pulled me into a hug and I felt myself crying. I couldn't hold it in.

I sniffled into her shoulder, my arms wrapped tightly around her. "I'm so scared..." I whispered through my sniffles. Melissa sighed, pulling away from me slightly while still holding onto my arms. She tilted her head with furrowed brows before wiping away my tears with her thumbs, not that it helped much with my waterfall.

"I know you are. But, they'll find him." She brushed my hair out of face for me and then led me to a seat in the waiting area. Melissa sat beside me, with her arm wrapped around my shoulders, rubbing my back comfortingly.

I sighed before turning to Melissa with a small smile, "Stiles told me he called you mom... that afternoon he was at the hospital. He said he didn't mean to and that it was embarrassing but, I know he meant it.

"Since out mother died, you've always been there, Melissa. You've been at every sports game and every dance recital... you didn't have to but, you did. Thank you." I wiped away my own tears, smiling at her with such gratitude.

This woman was so amazing. I'll forever be grateful for her. Melissa moved her arm to instead grab my hand. "Like I said to you the other day, I'll always be here." I nodded before leaning my head on her shoulder. "Thank you."

"I'm gonna stay here with Melissa, it's not good for me to be running all around..." I sighed, biting my lip while looking up at Scott. "Call me if you guys find him." Scott nodded, moving to wrap his arms around me.

My stomach inhibited him from fully encasing me in his arms, but that was okay. It'll always be okay. "Of course. Be safe." I rolled my eyes, trying to smile up at him, "you're the one who needs to be safe. Now go, find my brother."

Scott nodded before turning away and getting in the car with my dad and Isaac. I sighed before turning back to go inside the hospital. Melissa was at her computer, finishing up her work for the night.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" I asked her, barely audible. Melissa nodded, "of course. Don't worry, they'll find him." I shook my head, resting my arms against the counter and leaning against it.

"I mean... do you think he has what my mom had. Do you think he'll be okay?" My voice broke off at the end, I couldn't help it I was so scared. Melissa turned from the computer, letting out her own sigh. "I don't know the answer to that, Victoria, and I wish I did. I wish I could tell you that he'll be okay and everything will be fine but, the truth is... I don't know."

I nodded. Okay, so that's what it is. We don't know if he'll be okay or not... we just have to wait and see. I really wish I was better at waiting. But, I really needed to know. I needed to know if my brother will be there for me in ten years when my kids are growing up and I'm getting married or something.

I needed to know if I'll get to see him and Lydia finally end up together and get all happy and lovey-dovey. I just needed to know. I can't handle this in-between place full of uncertainty. I shook my head, thinking back to what my mother wrote me.

Stiles will be okay, I've seen it... you become so scared, but don't be. He'l be okay when his mind clears.

I had to have faith in mine and my mother's ability, just this once. Stiles will be okay. He has to be.

"Rafael?" Melissa's voice broke my thoughts. I turned around and saw Mr. McCall running toward us, well not running but, speed walking. "Melissa, we need to go. It's about Stiles." That perked my interest.

Melissa's too. She stood up from her chair, grabbing her coat with her, "Victoria, you coming?" I nodded, "of course." And with that, we all rushed from the hospital lobby and into Mr. McCall's car.

"So, what exactly are you saying?" I asked from the back seat. Mr. McCall sighed, "I'm saying, the real question might be... How do we know he's not still asleep?" I bit my lip at that. "YOu mean, he's been asleep the whole time?" Melissa questioned.

I sighed, shaking my head, "how is that possible?" Mr. McCall began to explain, "well, people who sleepwalk can do crazy things. One guy goes down and cooks and entire meal, another guy is found mowing his lawn naked..."

Melissa sighed, "why's any of that matter." Mr. McCall gripped the steering wheel. "Remember that townhouse apartment we lived in?" Melissa nodded. "There was that one night, I came home drunk-"

A scoff left Melissa's throat, "oh, one night?" I could feel Mr. McCall take note of me in the backseat, probably uncomfortable that Melissa was mentioning his drunkeness in front of me, probably wondering if I knew what happened with Scott when he was little.

Of course I knew.

"Let me finish! So, I'm drunk, passed out on the bed. I get up to go to the bathroom. Then, all of a sudden, I hear you yelling, 'what the hell are you doing?'" Melissa shook her head, "because you were in the closet, peeing into the laundry basket!"

I choked out a laugh, oh my god. He did what? That's-that's hilarious. Mr. McCall shook his head, "yeah, I thought it was the bathroom." I shook my head, "sounds like you were just drunk." Mr. McCall shook his head again.

"The point is, I was convinced it was the bathroom. So, how do we know Stiles isn't just convinced he's in some kind of basement, and isn't actually there? I think when he called Scott, he was still asleep... and is still asleep right now."

I rolled my lip between my teeth, "okay, so then where is my brother?" Mr. McCall met my gaze in the rear view. "I got an idea about that, too."

I let out a mental sigh, my eyes falling closed as I thought to myself: wherever you are, Stiles, you better be okay.

A/N: So... here's another one. Hope you like it! This will be my last chapter for the night... probably. Until next time--XO