Courageous

14

Kinsey tossed and turned in her sleep. Her nightmares were plagued with a crazy beastly figure, her sister, blood, and herself.

She screamed, seeing Peter attack her, then Lydia, and woke up with a sudden start.

Natalie rushed into her daughter's room to try to console her, but couldn't.

Lydia, who had heard her sister's screams, called Stiles. "Kinsey had a bad nightmare. Can you come by and see if you can help her? I'll leave the door unlocked."

Stiles threw on a pair of shoes. He grabbed his keys and drove to the Young house. He entered through the front door, which Lydia had left unlocked for him, and made his way to Kinsey's room.

Natalie was still trying to console her daughter and looked up to see Stiles who said, "Let me try."

She nodded and left the room.

Stiles sat next to Kinsey and he stroked her hair. "Wanna tell me what the nightmare was about?"

"I saw a beastly figure," she whispered. "And -- he-"

"Shh. Kinsey, it's okay. He's gone. You're safe."

"But what if he comes back?"

"He won't, Kins." At least, he hoped not.

Stiles' arm suddenly felt wet and he glanced down at Kinsey, gently moving her head back to see tear-stained cheeks. He dried them and smiled. "Kinsey, you're okay now."

"Can you stay?"

"'Course I'll stay." His voice dropped so she couldn't hear. "You know I'd do anything for you, Kinsey."

He started to make a bed on the floor and Kinsey said, "Hold me? Please?"

Stiles' heart jumped at her words and he nodded. "Yeah. Yeah. Sure. Uh, whatever you need." He climbed into her bed and she cuddled into him, soon falling asleep.

---

At school the next morning, Kinsey walked between Lydia and Allison. Allison looked at Kinsey and Lydia. "You two really don't remember anything?"

Lydia shook her head. "They call it a fugue state, which is basically a way of saying "We have no idea why you can't remember running through the woods naked for two days." But personally, I don't care. I lost nine pounds."

Kinsey let out a sigh and asked, "You ready for this?"

Lydia looked at Allison. "Please. It's not like my aunt's a serial killer."

They entered the school and everyone turned to look at them, zoning in on Lydia and Kinsey with a cold silence. Allison offered them a smile. "Maybe it's the nine pounds."

Kinsey made her way to her locked, passing Carter who was making his way to the lacrosse field to talk to his friends.

Scott and Stiles were acting more weirder than usual. Normally, he'd ignore it, but she was worried, and frankly, curious. Scott knocked a guy down and Carter frowned as Coach cried, "Usually the goalie stays somewhere within the vicinity of the actual goal."

"Yes, Coach," Scott answered, making his way back to the goal.

"Let's try that again."

Scott repeated his previous action and Coach yelled, "McCall! The position's goalkeeper. Not goal abandoner."

"Sorry, Coach."

"Let's go!"

Scott, once again, did the same thing. Coach turned to Stiles. "Stilinski, what the hell is wrong with your friend?"