It took me about ten minutes to get back home, and that was only because it was raining. There was enough water on the road for hydroplaning to be an issue, so I drove slow over the puddles. I didn't even realize that it was or had been raining until I stepped outside from Allison's building.

When I finally got home, I leapt from my truck and slammed the door behind me. I found myself running towards the door; whether it was me running from the rain or to get to Stiles, I couldn't tell. However, I got into the house and shut the door behind me, shivering from the cold.

The house was quiet. It was a type of quiet that you heard and saw in movies; the ones where the victim is wandering aimlessly through the house, shouting out for the killer when we all know damn well that the killer wouldn't reply to someone in that type of situation. I mean come on...it's not like the killer would shout back, "I'm in the kitchen! Want a sandwich?"

After slipping my shoes off, my eyes went to the stairway, almost as if I was expecting to find Stiles standing at the top of it. However, my eyes were only met with darkness as my mind started to imagine different scenarios of how this could play out.

I just hoped that it was Stiles I'd find.

My sweatpants make a swoosh sound as I make my way up the stairs, the light from a lightning bolt shining through the window, allowing me to see for a brief moment before it was gone. Nothing looked different or out of place, but why did it feel like it was?

"Stiles?" I say, not too loud, but loud enough for him to hear me. At this point, I was just assuming that he had fallen asleep or something along those lines, but when I pushed open his door to his room, I was wrong.

He was sitting there on the edge of his bed, staring out of the window as rain fell on it. He doesn't move for a moment as he watches closely, but that was before he sees my reflection in the window, causing his head and eyes to snap over to me. A small weak smile spreads across his face as I step inside, noticing how tired he looked.

Neither of us move for the longest moment. We stand there and stare at one another; waiting for the other person to make the first move. However, he finally speaks first. "I couldn't sleep there...I had forgotten my pillow."

He smiles after saying that, making me laugh a little. "How in the hell did you bust out of there?"

"Wasn't that hard," he shrugs, looking back at his pillow that was leaning up against his bed frame. "I had a little help from Oliver and Malia though."

"Malia?" I furrow my eyebrows. "The girl that Jade had saved back in the woods? The coyote?"

He nods, a little grin etching across his face that I didn't know what meant. "Yeah, her. I had to make her a promise though before she agreed to help me...she wants to turn back into a coyote."

"Turn back?" I say, alarmed. "Why in the hell would she want to go back to being that animal?"

"It's all she knows, Corey," Stiles breathes, looking up at me with a look that scared me slightly. "She's been that animal for more than half of her life...it's apart of her."

I'm silent as I take another step into the room, watching Stiles closely. I was a little on edge on if this was really the real Stiles, but it had to be, right? He was talking to me like normal and he knew everything else that the nogitsune couldn't possibly know. This had to be him.

"Corey, I know this is random, but..." Stiles fades off, looking back up at me. "Have you...tried to see the future lately? I know Jennifer took that away from you, but I was just wondering...I want to know what happens to...to me."

I swore I felt my heart actually break. "I don't know if I can, Stiles. It's complicated-"

"What do you mean complicated?" he asks me, urging me farther.

I take a deep breath. "I mean, they've only been coming to me in dreams. I can't control when or what I see anymore...I'm lucky enough to know a few pieces of the future."

"What have you seen already?" he asks, looking determined to get answers. "Do you know anything about me-"

"No," I say, shaking my head. I debated whether or not to tell him about Allison, and I decided against it. Something told me not to. "Everything I've seen with you was awhile ago, so it's nothing of the future now. I'm sorry..."

He looks down at his feet, licking his lips slowly. "It's okay...I just..."

He made a sound then that told me that he was about to cry. I thought it was a little weird for Stiles to cry...especially after talking about something like that. But then again, things were changing so fast around the two of us, you could almost cry about anything.

I walk farther into the room then before he changes the topic, pushing back his tears. "How's Allison?"

"She's fine," I say simply, not sure what to say about her. Stiles and I rarely talked about her, unless it was me bringing her up because I could hardly ever stop thinking about her. It was a little odd of him to bring her up, but not that much. I change the topic. "Stiles, maybe you should try and sleep."

He scoffs at me. "I haven't been able to sleep for weeks, what makes you think I'd be able to now?"

"Well that fox is poisoned right now," I fade off, hoping I was right about what I was about to say. "Plus, now you have your pillow."

He smiles faintly at me, nodding his head. "I'll try."

I stand there for a moment as I look down at him, taking a deep breath. "We're going to fix this, Stiles. I promise you, okay? I'll find a way to outsmart the fox."

"Maybe," he looks at the ground, completely going dead on me. "Goodnight, Corey."

I nod as I walk towards the door, frowning a little. "Night."

After I say this, I leave the room, shutting the door behind me. The moment I stepped out of his room however, an odd feeling came over me; one that told me that something wasn't right, but let's be honest, nothing was right anymore. Stiles seemed better than what he has been, so I took that as a step towards a win. It had to be a win for us; I had to tell myself that.

Suddenly though, I hear what sounded like the TV flick on downstairs, causing me to practically jump out of my skin. The sound was exactly like static; loud and buzzing. I guess this was just the next step in my horror movie.

A yawn finds its way onto my face as I make my way back down the stairs, going to turn it off. In that moment, it occurred to me what could have turned the TV on in the first place, and that was when I realized that John wasn't even home yet. Where could he be? Maybe he had a night shift...who knows. He hasn't been telling me much lately.

My feet pad across the hardwood flooring as I walk towards the TV, the static racing across the screen hurting my eyes. I squint before I reach out and turn it off, the silence being music to my ears. I sigh before turning around, about ready to head back upstairs, but only I was met with something else.

My heart jumps when I see Stiles standing there, it scaring the living shit out of me. "Stiles, I thought-"

I'm cut off in that moment when Stiles brings his hand out from behind his back, showing me his wooden baseball bat. He brings it down across my head before I have time to act, knocking me out cold.

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My senses come back to me quicker than I had thought, because not soon after my eyes started to flutter open did I remember what had exactly happened. I start spazing then, thinking that I would jump right back onto my feet, but then I found that I was restrained in one of the kitchen chairs from the dinner table. Ropes permitted me from moving and a thick piece of tape covered my mouth.

I scream behind it, not understanding why this was happening. Stiles...I mean,that fox was doing this. That was when I hear a low snicker come from the shadows of the kitchen, out stepping that thing wearing Stiles' skin. It made my teeth grind.

"I thought you were capable of seeing these type of things coming?" he half smiles, walking around my chair as I throw my wrists around, hoping to break loose.

My heart pounds in my ears. "And I thought you were smarter rather than to reveal that you're back so soon."

He stops in front of my chair then, his eyes burning into my own. Something in his eyes told me that he had something else up his sleeve, but he wasn't revealing it just yet. "You know, Corey, for as long as I've been alive, I've never met a real seer. Sure, I've heard about them, but never have I had one right in the palm of my hand. It's a real treat to have you here."

I already knew where this was going. I've already been down this same path with Deucalion. "I'm not going to help you-"

He laughs. "I don't want your help. Oh no, no. I want your cooperation. That's what I want."

I stare up at him, shuddering at the image of Stiles' face, but still showing that same courage that Allison and Deucalion had taught me both alike. "And what makes you think you'll be getting that?"

"You're looking at it," he points at his face, and I knew what that trick up his sleeve was now. "My favorite thing is making deals, Corey. You know why? I always get what I want. You weak humans will do anything to get your loved ones back, so that's why I'll be getting your cooperation. That's why you'll do what I say."

I hold my ground, even when I wanted to hear his offer. "Like hell I will-"

"Really?" he asks me, raising an eyebrow. I watch him closely as he walks over to the countertop, grabbing a kitchen knife. I clench my fist as he holds it out, making me think that he was going to go for me, but instead, he places it against his throat. "So you're telling me that this doesn't bother you one bit?"

I bite my tongue as I watch his hand closely, wanting to scream at him to stop. A little line of blood starts to drip down his throat as he grins down at me, knowing that he was getting to me. I knew he was too, but what else was I supposed to do? He'd kill Stiles; I knew he would if he wanted to.

"Stop!" I scream, thrashing around as the chair scrapes against the tile flooring. "Please, just stop-"

"So here's my offer Corey," he smiles while placing the knife to the side, using his shirt sleeve to wipe the blood away. "I know that you've been able to somehow tap into that future ability of yours, and I want that. You give me that, and I'll give you back your precious Stiles; that is, after I'm done. He'll be mine until I'm ready to move on from Beacon Hills, got that?"

I sit in silence, thinking about his offer. This wasn't something that was of great loss to me; it would only mess up everything else that was supposed to happen. However, in that moment, I remembered Allison's death. Maybe...just maybe...if I told him what the future held, it would change her death.

He continues. "If you don't like my deal, Stiles is mine. Simple as that. And trust me...you don't want to decline my offer."

I stare at him for a moment, knowing what to do. It was Allison and Stiles getting out of this alive on one hand compared to risks and chances on the other, so it was an easy decision of mine. "Deal, okay? Just please, Stiles-"

"You'll get him back," he breathes lowly before holding his fist up. "Oh, but I forgot to mention something."

I furrow my eyebrows, knowing how much he enjoyed his tricks and games. "What?"

Hearing what he said next was something I'd never picture coming out of Stiles' mouth; however, I guess it technically wasn't him saying it. When he spoke those words, he didn't care at all how he said them; it was like Stiles was gone already.

"Along with you showing me the future, I need Lydia Martin dead."

I narrow my eyes as I shake my head, utterly confused. "What? No-"

"She's a threat," he says to me as I start to thrash my wrists around once again. "She's dead either way, and there's nothing you can do about it now."

"No!" I scream at him, my chair scratching across the ground once again. He slowly opens his palm then, a little fly buzzing out from it. "You can't kill her-"

"I won't be killing her," he cuts me off as the fly buzzes towards me, it somehow finding it's way into my mouth as I choke and cough.

"You will be."

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yo fam, things are getting real

do you think Corey should have taken up that deal? will Lydia be another body to add to the death toll? only time and future chapters can tell.

vote and comment folks!