Just Nightmares - Angst: "Nie wieder" (fürs Team)

[rolly-chan.livejournal.com]

Titel: Just Nightmares - Teil 11
Team: Erato
Challenge: Angst - "Nie wieder"
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Charaktere/Pairings: Stiles, Deaton & Pack
Wörter: 1228
A/N: Der elfte Teil und Ende des Kapitels! Yay. Ein weiteres Kapitel geschafft. Fehlt noch eins und ich bin durch. Das werd ich aber nie und nimmer mehr während der Challenge schaffen, dazu ist leider etwas zu viel los gerade.

Teil 1 | Teil 2 | Teil 3 | Teil 4 | Teil 5 | Teil 6 | Teil 7 | Teil 8 | Teil 9 | Teil 10
Alternativ Kapitel 1 (Teil 1-5) @AO3 oder @LJ
Und jetzt auch Kapitel 2 (Teil 6-11) @AO3, leider kein LJ, weil er mit schreibt "post is too large" und ich keine Lust habe, mich damit abzumühen gerade.


This time around, there were even more people gathered in Deaton's clinic and Stiles unfortunately had to take the uncomfortable metal table for a seat. Its cold seeped through his jeans and he sincerely hoped it wouldn't cause his balls to freeze while he lightly swung his legs back and forth and tapped his fingers against the tabletop. Deaton didn't look the slightest bit concerned. Or maybe it was just his usual face—Stiles still couldn't quite see the difference between those.

"Nightmares, trouble breathing and sleep paralysis," Deaton repeated the symptoms Stiles had just explained to him. He did look pensive, but still not concerned. Apparently, Deaton either didn't care or there was the possibility that they weren't dealing with something incredibly evil here. Stiles would prefer the latter.

"Can you help us?" Scott asked in a voice that even scared Stiles a little. Scott stood to Stiles's right side like a guard, tall and prepared to defend his best friend from any evil. Stiles did appreciate it, really, because not much was more heart-warming than knowing your bestie cared this much, but he thought maybe it could be detrimental to their task of obtaining even the smallest hint of what exactly they were dealing with.

Deaton gave Scott a tiny smile, though it didn't exactly look anything paternal. "I think I might be able to."

Scott visibly relaxed a little, and Stiles didn't want to think about what Scott would have done if Deaton had VERNEINT his question. To Stiles's left, Derek's shoulders also sagged the tiniest bit. Seriously, although they both probably thought they were supporting him and keeping him safe from spontaneously attacking supernatural things like some bodyguards, Stiles rather felt they were caging him in like sentries, keeping an eye on him so he wouldn't lose his mind and bolt—like he did before, when he got possessed by an evil fox.

"You are certainly not dealing with vampires or witches. I notice no such signs on him, and I would have," Deaton said, and wow, the knowledge that it definitely wasn't a witch did calm him a little. Though now they had no clue whatsoever what they were dealing with. Again.

"Then what is it?" Scott asked again, his hands balled to fists and Stiles could see how his thumbnails slowly grew long and sharp. He quickly grabbed Scott's arm and squeezed reassuringly, until Scott finally glanced at him and stopped with the wolfing out.

"I am not sure yet, because this is the first time I have heard of such phenomena in this part of the world," Deaton replied and furrowed his brows. Then he walked over to the far end and retrieved a book from the shelf, turning pages in thought. The seconds ticked by, and Derek crossed his arms in front of his chest, his muscles tense, looking like he was becoming impatient, and Scott wasn't doing much better.

Stiles knew what this was about, he had shared a look with Allison from beside Scott, and her horrified expression had confirmed it for Stiles. They were afraid he might be possessed again. And Stiles... wanted to say he didn't have a clue why he hadn't thought of that, but the truth was, he knew. He was still so scared to even think about the possibility, and now that he finally had, a cold shiver ran down his spine and goosebumps rose on his arms.

He never wanted to go through that again. He never wanted to hurt anyone again. He'd rather let himself be locked up in Eichen House again than let that happen. If it would keep his friends and family safe, he'd even rather die.

The thought made him shudder as he remembered the cold metal of that sword he had almost used to do just that, and he immediately had two hands on his shoulders, because apparently, now Scott and Derek both wanted to play mother hen. He almost rolled his eyes at them. On the other hand, that gesture did get him out of the horrible memory.

"Stiles?" It was a wonder how Derek managed to ask Stiles about his well-being just by saying his name. It was a wonder how he managed to say all sorts of things just by saying his name.

"Yeah, I'm fine. You got anything there, doc?"

"Here," Deaton finally said and returned with the book, holding it towards Stiles and waiting for everyone to read it.

"So it's an alp or mare?" Scott wondered aloud, looking up from the book.

"Seems like it," Stiles answered for Deaton when he had read through that paragraph. "The symptoms all match."

"But nothing here says that it kills the people it... possesses."

"That is because not all of them do," Deaton said and everyone looked up at him again. "They leech life energy from their victims from their dreams. Nightmares are particularly powerful to them. If they leech too much in one night, they are even able to kill."

Stiles slumped a bit on the table and sighed. "And we're dealing with the vicious kind in our case." Go figure. Stiles just had to attract a deadly supernatural assface. But then again, the last one had been very deadly too. This was the second time already. Stiles hoped this wouldn't develop into a pattern.

The hands on his shoulders both tensed and squeezed him. It would be hilarious if it wasn't so serious.

"Stiles," Kira, who had been perfectly quiet all this time, called him and stepped forth from behind Derek. She looked a little nervous, biting her lower lip, but she still came to stand in front of him and held out her hand, "Please take this."

Stiles reached out and let Kira drop a little something into his hand. It was something rectangular wrapped in red cloth with a ribbon on the top and golden Japanese characters imprinted on the cloth, feeling smooth against his skin.

"It's a charm. My mother says it protects from evil spirits."

"Thanks," Stiles replied, still looking at the thing. He didn't really believe it would actually help him, but the thought counted. Just because she didn't know him as long as the others didn't mean she wouldn't worry about him. He put the charm into his jeans pocket for now.

"I guess some more research is in order, right?" Stiles hopped from the table and stretched, before turning on his friends. "I know you won't listen to me anyway if I tell you to go home, so... you're invited if you want to come."

Neither Scott, nor Derek denied it. Such worry-warts. But then again, Stiles couldn't hold it against them. They could probably smell his fear, because yes, he was again, or still, afraid. He had sworn to himself never to get possessed again, and here he was, being "ridden" by a damn alp or mare. It was like being possessed. That damn thing controlled his body in his sleep, and it was responsible for him having those creepy nightmares. But Stiles wouldn't be Stiles if he let that stop him. He'd find out how to get rid of the fucker, and get rid of it he would.

Never again, he swore, would he let himself be manipulated so easily. The alp had something else coming, that was for sure.

‘Cause I have been where you are before
And I have felt the pain of losing who you are
And I have died so many times, but I am still alive
(Christina Perri - I believe)