Wounded Heart

Chapter 30

It's felt like a whole lifetime has ticked by. All she saw was trees, all blurring together for there was nothing to distinguish them. Lydia was aching, her legs felt like they were on fire, and Lydia was out of breath.

"Stiles," Lydia panted as she came to a stumbled stop. "I can't anymore." She said in deep breaths as she dropped to the ground and lay there. Stiles watched his girlfriend covered in sweat, her eyes begging him to let her rest.

"Lydia, we're almost there I promise." He said as he tugged her by her arms, just enough to move her slightly upward. Lydia groaned as she looked up at him.

"Please don't make me get-" she was cut off by a whistling sound. Lydia immediately looked around, jumping up to her feet. She got closer to Stiles and looked past his shoulder. "Did you hear that?" She asked him.

"Yeah," he said as he started to slowly creep towards where he had thought the sound was coming from. Then he stopped, listening. And there it was again, the whistling. Stiles took off running, his body starting to burn again, and Lydia right behind him.  finally came to a stop, and this time the whistle was clear as day. Stiles looked around confused, he swore the whistling was right next to him.

"Stiles," Lydia whispered as she walked to his right, pointing at two bodies, one built and masculine body hugging tightly onto a little one of another. The masculine body was whistling, low and slowly, while the little figure snuggled into the broad chest.

"Hey," Stiles called out. The man turned his head slowly, startling Lydia and Stiles. It was Aiden, and he looked terrible. His face looked like he had aged by 10 years and his lip was bloodied. His eyes looked like they were about to pop out. But he gave a faint smile at the sight of them.

"I've never been happier to see you." He mumbled out as he looked back at who was now known as Melony. "Mommy is here." He mumbled. "She's here." He said as she closed his eyes. Lydia looked at Stiles, confused more than ever. Why haven't they left, nothing was restraining them.

"Aiden," Lydia called out as she got closer. "Why haven't you left?" She asked incredibly confused.

"They said if I left...Allison would be blown up...couldn't do that to McCall." He said as he would come in and out of conscience. "Plus, they beat me and said if I tried to leave...they'll kill Melony." And as he said those words his grip tightened around his most beloved thing in life. Lydia walked towards him, taking Melony from his grip. Melony groaned. "Take care of her," Aiden mumbled.

"Don't be ridiculous," Lydia said as she looked back to Stiles, who has now started to walk towards Aiden to help him up. Aiden moaned on pain as Stiles stood him right, clenching his teeth together. "What is wrong with you?" Lydia asked, a state of worrying settling in her. Aiden shuffled back against the tree and revealed a deep would in his abdomen. "Aiden," Lydia gasped as she walked took a step closer, handing Melony to Stiles. Lydia quickly walked to Aiden and examined his wound.

"I'm really tired Lydia," Aiden mumbled as he started to collapse to the floor making Lydia instantly guide him to the ground. Lydia shook her head, her eyes flooding with tears.

"Lydia," Stiles said, making her look back at him. Lydia followed his gaze and saw the pool of blood where Aiden has previously been sitting.

"I'm sorry," Aiden whispered as he took Lydia's hand and looked her in the eyes.

"Aiden you're going to be fine," Lydia said as she moved closer to his wound. Aiden shook his head.

"Listen to me, I'm sorry." And Lydia shook her head.

"It's okay." Lydia responded as she looked past him.

"No, look at me," Aiden said as he searched her face to meet her eyes but Lydia kept shifting her eyes away from him. "Please look at me," Aiden said as he gripped her hand tighter. Lydia looked at him, and for the first time in a while, she saw her Aiden and how guilty and...scared he looked. "I'm sorry." Lydia smiled, nodding her head. The tears still threatening to spill.

"I know," Lydia took a deep breath, "I forgave you a long time ago." She whispered to him as she held his hand closer to her lips.

"Mommy," a fragile voice sneaked behind her. Lydia looked back and saw Melony being snuggled into Stiles chest, but looking at her.

"Baby," she gasped out as she saw her little angel start to squirm to get out of Stiles' hands.

"Daddy," Melony said as she finally touched the ground and stumbled to the ground. Stiles quickly grabbed her, pulling her up, but Melony quickly got out of his hands once again and stumbled forward just a little bit more. Once again Stiles went to help her, but she turned around, glaring at him. "I need to do this by myself." She said as she clenched her fist. Stiles nodded, taking a step back. Melony continued to stagger forward until she finally fell next to Aiden. "Daddy," she said again as she lay her head on his chest and her intertwined her hand into his.

"Angel," Aiden said through short breaths, his lip quivering, his eyes filling with tears.

"Don't go," Melony said.

"I love you." Aiden ignored Melony plea and gave her a peck on the head.

"Dad." Melony demanded.

"Do you love me?" Aiden asked, and Melony quickly nodded. "Good." Aiden said as he felt a tear slip out. "Can you say it for me one last time?" He asked so softly.

"I love you." Melony said as she started to bawl into her dying step-fathers chest.

"Don't cry baby," Aiden spoke softly as he ran his hand through her hair. "Now I can be your angel, and I can watch you from high above and protect you," Aiden took a real long breath, "With your dad." And with that Melony started to hysterically cry. As as Lydia watched it all unfold, she found t help but cry as well. Once again, her life was falling apart I front of her and she couldn't do a damn thing about it. She lay down next to him, like she had so many nights in her past, but this time she felt something she didn't before. She felt the love he was radiating off of himself. And then she felt it, another wound being made in her heart.

Stiles sat across from them, and he should have been a little jealous or angry, but he wasn't. Lydia was doing this for Aiden's sake. She wanted him to die surrounded by the people he loved the most. And he understood completely. He could see the love between them all, no matter what happened in the past, there was a rare love there. And he watched Aiden take his last breath, a single tear rolled down his cheek. This was Aiden's perfect death. They all say there in silence for a good amount of time, when Lydia finally moved. Her face stained red from tears, her eyes glossed over.

"Lydia," he muttered as he got closer to her. And Lydia just shook her head.

"It's okay," she said as she stood up. "We're okay." Lydia moved passed him, walking away, towards where they have left Scott and Derek. Stiles watched her before he went towards Melony. He gently grabbed her by her waist, lifting her slowly to him, and for the first time, Melony didn't fight him. She let herself be held and carried away. But as her head lay on Stiles' shoulder, she watched as Aiden's body become smaller and smaller. And when she could barely see the shape of his body, she whispered the words she hated the most.

"Goodbye."