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Malia, Lydia, and Scott were debating whether or not to call Stiles.
Lydia spoke up first. “In case anyone forgot-“
She was cut off by Malia. “Uhh”
“-Yeah, I just said ‘forgot.’” Lydia finished. “We almost lost him last time.”
Scott nodded in agreement; he couldn’t risk putting Stiles in a situation where they could lose him again, but Malia wasn’t on board.
“If this turns out to be something big, and we don't call him-“ Malia started.
“He would kill us.” Scott knew his brother well enough to know that he’d want to be involved, regardless of the risk.
“Maybe we should go back to the woods tonight and find the killer?” Malia’s straightforward mind was already back to the task at hand.
Lydia turned to the alpha, and when she met his eyes he could practically see the gears in her mind turning. “Scott.”
Scott was conflicted. They were all right. None of them wanted him in the crossfire of whatever was about to go down in Beacon Hills, but Stiles would kill them if something happened and they hadn’t called. Scott was also fighting -- wanting his brother safe in Virginia and wanting Stiles by his side.
Scott tried a different line of reasoning, appealing to their excitement for Stiles’ new position in the FBI. “You didn't hear his voice. He sounded really excited to be there.”
“Why don’t we call and let him decide?” Malia suggested.
Scott and Lydia agreed. The alpha dialed the number, his fingers flying through the digits with speed gained by years of familiarity.
Stiles picked up on the second ring.
“Hey Scott! Miss me already?”
Scott laughed. “Yeah, but that’s not what I’m calling about.”
Stiles’s upbeat tone shifted in an instant, and Scott knew he was imagining the worst. “What happened? What’s wrong? Scott, are you ok?”
“Yeah. Yeah I’m ok. But there’s something going on in Beacon Hills.” Again. And he hated that his brother had to be a part of it.
“Scott I want to help, but I need to stay here for right now. The FBI has a lead on Derek, like the first day of me being there I saw a video feed of him running shirtless through the woods -- why was he shirtless anyways -- and they said he was wanted for mass murder. They’re shooting to kill. I think he’s been framed, but I don’t have any evidence yet.”
“Ok. Be careful, Stiles.”
“You too, Scott, and call me if things get worse. If you need backup, I’ll be there.” Of course Stiles would be willing to drop everything to help his friends.
“Of course. Stay safe.”
“I’ll try.” Stiles agreed, his half-joking tone earning a laugh from Scott.
“Good luck, Scott.”
“You too. Bye Stiles.”
“We’ll talk soon, but seriously don’t hesitate to call. Bye Scott.”
They hung up the phone, and the silence felt louder than anything Scott had heard before.