SELECT chapter 13 ↵ FROM union all

It was late by the time Stiles needed to drive Scott home. He hadn't brought clothes and Stiles drew a line at two people per bed. Isaac sat in the back of the Jeep, a solid, silent presence that Stiles was already beginning to appreciate.

"Where'd you go?" Scott asked when he'd pulled out of his driveway.

"The Hale house." Stiles replied, hooking his wrist over the steering wheel as he shifted in the seat to get more comfortable.

"Why?" Scott was confused. "Why go alone?"

"Isaac can't get near Talia right now." Stiles sighed, "Remember the pack bond thing?"

Stiles waited for Scott's affirmative mumble before continuing. "It's that. It. Just. Isaac can't be near Talia. And I didn't want him alone."

Scott was quiet for a long moment. "Is that the only reason? Why go over in the first place?"

Stiles felt as if his house of cards was one swift breeze away from collapsing. He took a deep breath and moved both hands to the steering wheel, chewing on his lips. "I yelled at Talia because I felt she hadn't been doing her duty."

Scott snorted. "You yelled at her?"

"Yea!" Stiles said, reproachful. "It's for a good reason, Scotchbrite."

"Sure, sure." Scott chuckled and Stiles felt like he could breathe again. The rest of the ride passed in companionable silence. Scott hopped out and waved a cheery good bye. Isaac climbed into the front seat.

"Why didn't my brother turn?" The question broke between them on the drive back like glass in a museum. It startled Stiles for a moment before he considered the answer.

"Honest truth is, no one knows." Stiles said after a while, "There isn't enough research being done to answer that. There are folk tales about it, but they don't necessarily hold water."

Isaac was quiet for a long moment before whispering, "I'm scared."

Stiles let that statement have the gravity it deserved, nodding.

"Yeah." He agreed, there wasn't anything else to say. Isaac had been set adrift in this world. "But I'll never let you be scared alone. So be scared all you want, and I'll be right there with you."

Isaac reached a hand across the console and buried it under Stiles' thigh.

"I-" Isaac caught himself, his chest shuddering as he desperately whined, "I don't know what I'm doing."

Stiles reached down and wrapped long fingers around Isaac's wrist, rubbing one thumb back and forth over it. "Yep. But that's ok. You don't have to right now. If you don't want to. Just do what makes you feel ok, we can figure out everything else later. When it's not so overwhelming."

"We?" Isaac whispered brokenly. As Stiles had talked, he'd leaned into the space between the seats and came to rest his forehead against Stiles' shoulder.

"Yea, man. We. You ok with that?"

"Yes." Sobbed out of the teen's throat. He burrowed his face between Stiles' shoulder and the seat. Narrow shoulders shuddered with silent sobs that Stiles could feel soaking into his shirt. They stayed in the driveway of the Sheriff's house, engine off, for long minutes until Isaac was good.

Inside, his dad was watching another taped game.

"I'm gonna stay home again tomorrow." Stiles said, eyes on the TV. He'd already texted Scott, who'd pick up school work for him again. "I'll go back on Monday."

His dad didn't say anything for a few long moments, then Stiles heard his sigh. "Yeah, ok."

They sat in silence, watching a game that ended weeks ago.