Stand By Me

49

Season Four

Peyton, Stiles and Lydia walked silently through the town. They drove, which Peyton had been thankful for. Driving wasn't so bad when she couldn't see, but flying especially terrified her.

Stiles studied their surroundings. "This doesn't seem so bad."

Lydia frowned. "It's not the town, it's the plan."

"What's wrong with the plan?"

Lydia let out an annoyed sigh. "Stiles, this could be the stupidest plan we've ever come up with. Even Peyton knows that. You're aware of that, right?"

Stiles frowned and glanced at her. "I'm aware it's not our best."

Peyton frowned. "Not our best? Stiles, we've come up with some pretty ridiculous plans, but Lydia is right. This is the stupidest plan we've ever come up with."

Lydia pursed her lips. "We are going to die."

Stiles shot her a look. "Are you saying that as a Banshee or are you being pessimistic?"

She rolled her eyes and answered, "I'm saying it as a person who doesn't wanna die."

Stiles narrowed his eyes at Lydia. "Okay. Would you just mind restricting any talk of death to actual Banshee death predictions? And Peyton, stop siding with Lydia. I heard enough of it in the car."

Peyton pursed her lips. "No. I won't stop siding with Lydia when you and I both know she's right."

Lydia glared at Stiles. "The plan is stupid and we're going to die."

"Oh, thank you," Stiles said, shooting Peyton a look.

Lydia rolled her eyes and hummed, "Mmm."

They entered a bar and a man served the three of them a drink. Lydia and Tessa pulled out money and the man shook his head. "No. On the house. Most American teenagers don't cross the border to refuse a drink."

Lydia dropped a bullet casing with a skull etching, the same as the bar, into a shot glass. "We didn't come to drink."

He led them to an older woman and she said to them, "Severo hates this music. Me? I've always loved the music of youth. This kind especially. It has a savage energy."

Lydia stared at the woman as she and Peyton said, "We're here for Derek Hale."

"Is that so?" Araya questioned.

"We know you have him," Lydia said. "We've heard you can be bought."

Stiles laid a wad of cash on the table. "It's $50,000 for Derek."

Araya glanced down at the money, then up at Stiles. "Now, where does a teenage boy get money like that? Japanese mafia?"

Guns clicked and Araya gave each teen a disappointed look. "Not smart to come alone."

Peyton folded her hands and rested them on the table. "What makes you think we came alone?"

Araya's eyes narrowed. "You brought a wolf into my home?"

"We brought an Alpha," Stiles corrected.

She let out a sigh. "My friends... I don't think you're aware of your poor timing. Do you know what the dark moon is?"

"The part of the lunar phase when the moon is least visible in the sky," Lydia answered.

"But do you know its meaning?"

"Some people say it's a time of reflection. Or grief."

"Grief and loss, mija," Araya said. "I wonder why, when you and your friends have suffered so much loss, you would risk it again for someone like Derek Hale."