Chapter Forty-Four

De-Void

Peter walked around the couch to look at my brother, "he doesn't look like he would survive a slap across the face, much less the bite of a werewolf." He bent in front of the nogitsune, getting a good look at Stiles and his paled face. Black ducktape sealed his lips, keeping him from shouting or, most likely, talking back. "This is more a war of the mind than the body. There are better methods to winning this battle."

"What kind of methods?" Deaton asked with his chin resting on his fist, his other arm resting across his stomach and propping up his elbow. Peter looked back to Stiles, "we're going to get into his head." I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms so they rested on my bump, god I was getting huge... "yeah, because what my brother needs is more people in his head."

Peter let out a breath before turning his gaze on me, "well, do you have a better idea?" I pursed my lips, dropping my arms to my sides. Of course I didn't have a better idea, I've never dealt with anything like this before. Peter smirked, "that's what I thought. Now, let's get started, shall we?" The plan was simple enough, I suppose. Scott is going to use one of his alpha abilities to put him and Lydia into Stiles' head and try to save him.

I'm not sure if I fully support or believe in this whole... plan, but doing something is better than sitting here waiting for my brother to either come back or for the nogitsune to fully take over. Scott pulled me aside for a moment before entering Stiles' head.

I bit on my lip, my eyes moving from my brother's cold eyes to Scott's. He sent me a reassuring smile, "I'll bring him back, whatever I have to do." I let out a breath, looking down. "Just... don't lose yourself in the process of finding my brother, okay?"

The words hurt me to say, like sandpaper rubbing against my throat, they felt thick and wrong. On one hand I wanted to get Stiles back, no matter what-- even if it meant doing something incredibly extreme. But, on the other hand, I didn't want to lose Scott and my brother in the process. Which was a very new feeling for me.

For my whole life it had always been me and Stiles, Forever and Always. No one ever came between us, not even when him and Scott became friends when we were little. Sure Stiles and Scott were together as often as possible but, it was Stiles and I who were attached at the hip. Two peas in a pod. Practically fused together, that's what our mom used to say.

So, it was strange for me to say that I didn't want Scott to do anything to get my brother back. Yes, I wanted him to try his hardest to bring Stiles back. But, I didn't want him to die doing so. Does that make me a bad person? To tell my boyfriend that I didn't want him to sacrifice himself for my brother? Does that make me a bad sister?

Scott's thumb gently wiped away a tear that had slipped from my eye without my consent, "we'll all be okay, Victoria. I promise." I nodded, swallowing hard as my gaze fell to the floor. Soft lips pressed into my forehead, sending warmth through my body and I felt myself smile slightly.

His lips moved to my ear, hot breath fanning over the skin, "I love you," Scott whispered. I nodded, "I love you too."

It took fifteen minutes for them to finally wake up again. It was agonizing and only reminded me of when Stiles, Scott, and Allison died. I chewed at my nails as I looked over the trio, my nerves getting the better of me as I fell into a memory I wished only to forget.

"Scott?" Scott cleared his throat, holding up a watch in his hand. "My dad got my mom this watch when she first got hired at the hospital. She used to say it was the only thing in their marriage that ever worked." I leaned my head on Scott's warm arm, comfortingly.

I could feel a sense of dread at the thought that this might be the last time Scott is warm. Stiles too. Deaton sighed. "Okay, the three of you will get in. Each of us will hold you down until you're essentially... Well, dead. But it's not just someone to hold you under. It needs to be someone who can pull you back, someone that has a strong connection to you, a kind of emotional tether. Lydia... You go with Stiles. Victoria, you're with Scott."

I nodded and sighed as I watched all three of them get in the tubs, lowering themselves into the icy water. Scott looked up at me and I gave him a quick kiss before resting my head against his. I looked him in the eyes and but my lip.

"Incase you don't make it back. . . I just want to say—" Scott cut me off with a kiss before pulling away and nodding. "I know. But, tell me when I make it out, okay." On the count of three, we all pushed them under, holding them down until they were dead.

I blinked my glossy eyes, pushing aside the memory that would forever haunt my nights. My eyes found my way to Stiles, Scott, and Lydia. Scott and Lydia were now awake... or out of my brother's head at least. Suddenly, Stiles was standing from the couch, gagging and gasping for air that didn't fill his lungs.

As quickly as I possibly could, with a 5-month pregnant belly, I ran to my brother, my hands grasping at his shirt sleeve as he bent over. He was heaving and gagging. "What's going on? What's wrong with him!"

I frantically looked from Scott to Melissa, both of which looked as worried as I felt. Stiles pulled out of my grip and he began vomiting up cloth. White cloth fell from his body into a pile on the floor. Black goo... no blood spilled at the corners of his mouth.

Scott pulled me from my spot by the floor as black smoke rose from the cloth and with it a-a person? The person was wrapped in the same cloth that was on the floor-- his hands, his face, his whole body was wrapped like a mummy.

I felt Scott push me behind him, making it hard for me to keep an eye on my brother, all I could see was this being. "What is it? What's happening?" My hands instinctively wrapped around my stomach, as if my thin arms would protect anything from harming what was inside my body. My babies.

The leather-coat-wearing-mummy-man began walking toward us, waving his arms frantically, like he was confused, or in a daze? Peter and Scott were quick to push him into the chair, Deaton put Melissa, Lydia, and I behind him. "Hold him!" Peter ordered.

"I'm trying!" Scott's voice was strained slightly as the mummy-man was struggling beneath him.... suffocating. He was gasping for breath. "Wait! He can't breathe! He can't breathe, Scott!" Peter and Scott lessened their grips and began pulling back the bandages.

I pushed past Deaton, my eyes on the mummy-man, watching as his face was revealed. "Scott?" It was Stiles? But... how? Before I could further question as to why there were two versions of my brother, I felt a hand grip my wrist and pull me out the front door.

The hand was pulling so quickly, I didn't bother looking up as who was dragging me, I had to focus on my footing so I didn't tumble down any stairs. I wasn't able to say anything when I was pushed into the backseat of Lydia's car.

I finally looked up, only to see Lydia in the driver's seat and Stiles-- the Stiles that was paralyzed not 30 minutes ago-- in the passenger side. A cold chill ran up my spine and I knew that this wasn't my brother. "You're the nogitsune." I stated.

This Stiles was so much different than my brother, it was obvious now that I was really looking. His eyes were rimmed with dark bags that sunk into his skull, and his face was paler that Stiles' usual pale-- which is saying something. I swear, that boy doesn't tan at all. I think it has more to do with his video games than anything though.

The Nogitsune-- I'm gonna call him Foxie for short-- Foxie looked at me with a humorless smile. "I wonder," his voice was dark and daunting, and sent ice through my veins, "are you just observant, or is that the seer in you?"

My body went stiff. "How d'you know what I am?" Foxie's smile turned into a smirk that made me press my back as far into the seat as possible, which didn't grant me as much distance as I wanted. "I know everything."

Lydia and I were left in some narrow cement-walled corridor. The ground was wet and the air was cold. I felt myself shivering inside my thin cardigan. I was walking the length of the corridor, my head dipped low as I thought of something other than Lydia.

She was a wreck, he mascara was running and she was hearing the voices. The soft gasps that left her lips every so often, was slowing driving me up a wall with curiosity. What was she hearing? I'll never know, so I thought of something else.

Baby names. Isabella Jane was my first choice, obviously. It's cute and sweet sounding... But I don't think it's her name. Katherine Jane? Aurora Jane? Bridgette Ja-- no. What about boys? Maverik Stiles? Alec Stiles? Noah Stiles? I smiled slightly, Noah after my dad and Stiles after my brother. I wonder what Scott would think about that?

Nursery decorations? Dad said he was relinquishing his office space and giving it to me for the babies room, I still can't believe it. I still need to tell Scott about that, there just hasn't been time. White walls, obviously, but maybe a yellow accent wall? I rubbed over my bump, smiling to myself as I felt a slight kick up by my ribs.

Without any warning my head began to spin, "Lydia." I slowly slid myself to the ground, feeling two hands wrap around my bicep as my eyes glazed over. I briefly wondered, what do my visions look like to an outsider?

It was Allison and Isaac, they were walking toward Lydia's blue car. Allison was walking toward it quickly, stepping ahead of Isaac as he put his nose to the wind. "That's it, that's Lydia's car." Isaac squinted at the sun as he looked over the blue vehicle.

"The scent's strong of emotion." Allison nodded, "fear?" He shook his head, "no, anger and... stress." Allison nodded, "sounds like Lydia..." She then paused, her hand stopping to rest on the top of the car. "The stress... if that's from Victoria, that can't be good, can it?"

Isaac wet his lips, his tongue flicking across them quickly before shaking his head, "no." Allison nodded, sighing, "let's see what we can find." The vision shifted and I was in Danny's room, he was pacing with a phone pressed to his ear.

"What do you mean she's gone!?" His voice was loud and full of something I'd never heard from him before, it was like anger mixed with pure worry. He was scared. "How do you lose a pregnant lady, Scott!?" Before I could hear more of what worried Danny had to say, the vision suddenly stopped.

My eyes snapped open and I gasped slightly, my head was spinning a million miles a minute. What's happening? I quickly took in my surroundings and only then noticed Lydia was pulling me to my feet, practically dragging me down the dimly lit hallway.

"We have to go, come on, Tori," Lydia was pleading with me, her grip on my arm tightening. I blinked out of my daze and gathered my footing, beginning to follow her on my own without needing to be drug.

We made it to a staircase. At the bottom there was a iron gated door. "They'll find us," Lydia assured as we moved to the staircase. "Our friends are going to find us." I nodded, frowning at the strawberry blonde. She didn't sound sure of herself.

I rested my hand on the cement wall, stopping at the bottom step. I felt winded and tired, and extremely hungry. Like, I could really go for a cheeseburger right now, not that that's important. I watched as Lydia tried to push open the door, but it didn't budge.

My worry multiplied once I saw that it wasn't opening. I quickly went beside her, wrapping my own hands around the rusted bars and tried to push and pull with her. It didn't even budge. "No, no, no, no...."

"No, no, no..." Foxie tsked, his voice sounding from behind us, and I knew he was enjoying watching us struggle. "I myself, am kind of wondering what they're doing right now. What useless lead they're chasing. I wonder if maybe some of them have bigger problems to deal with right now."

I turned around, my eyes looking up at the fox that was using my brothers body. I couldn't get a word in, as he just. kept. talking. "Are they really spending every minute looking for you two?-- Oh, I'm sorry," Foxie laughed slightly, "four." His eyes glanced at my stomach and I felt a sudden protective urge overcome me. Like I had to do whatever to protect my babies.

"Or... Are they waiting for nightfall? Focused on some hopeless gesture to pass the time. Of course, you know what's happening, though, don't you? Victoria Stilinski, the seer." He tilted his head at me. I only glared.

I shot a quick glance at Lydia, who was now looking from me to the fox, probably trying to find a way to get us out of here. "Last thing I saw, my best friend was on his way to kill whoever took me." Okay, yes it was a lie, but I had to say something, right?

Before Foxie could reply, Lydia pushed me behind her, my back pressing into the rough bars. "What do you want?" Lydia's voice was soft and... distant. Foxie stood up, "more." My brows knitted together, more? What does that mean.

"More what?" Lydia questioned, her head tilting slightly as she shuffled in front of me, her back barely touching my stomach. She was guarding me. Foxie began walking down the steps, "the trickster stories, are all about food. The coyote, the raven... fox.

"They're all hungry." He was getting closer now. I grabbed onto Lydia's leather jacket with one hand, ready to pull her beside me it he got too close. I pressed my back as far into the rusted bars as I could, their jagged edges poking through the fabric of my clothes and lightly scratching my skin, irritating it.

"I'm the same." Tears burned in my wide eyes as I looked at this... sick and twisted version of my brother. I didn't want to die, I didn't want Lydia or my babies to die. We were so young. I could feel a wet droplet roll down my cheek, and I knew I was crying-- silently of course.

Foxie was only two steps up from us now, "I just crave something a little different." Lydia slowly began turning toward me, so that her stomach was against mine. I could see the tear streaks down her face and I'm sure she could see mine just as vividly. I grabbed her hand tightly, squeezing it and she did the same back.

My heart was racing in my chest, and I didn't know what to do. "I eat what you feel." Foxie was right behind Lydia now, and I had to watch as he fisted her hair and put his lips to her ear, breathing in her scent.

A whimper left Lydia's lips and I could feel her trembling against me, I pulled her closer to me, trying to get her out of his reach. "And I'm insatiable!"