Forever and Always (Sciles)

Stiles POV

Ben and I both turn to face the strawberry blonde running in our direction, with a desperate, worried look on her face.

"Lydia!" I reply as I rush towards her and pull her into a hug. Lydia barrels into me so hard, that I almost stumble over, but thankfully, I somehow keep my balance. Lydia clings onto me so tightly that it hurts, and I can feel her shaking ever so slightly against my chest while she tries to calm her breathing down, sniffling a little bit. I think she might even be slightly crying, which definitely has me concerned. Eventually, I pull out of the hug and push a strand of hair out of Lydia's face.

"What's wrong, Lyds?" I ask the shaken banshee softly, taking note of her worried expression.

"I'm just glad that you two are safe." Lydia sighs in relief before she rushes over to Ben and collapses into his arms, hugging him tightly. Ben holds her comfortingly and reassuringly. Ben and I exchange a confused look with each other, having no clue what's going on.

"Hey, it's okay, Lydia. You're okay, we're okay. You're safe." Ben reassures Lydia kindly as she rubs her back lightly.

"What's going on? Where's the rest of the town? Where's Scott?" I ask, concern lacing my voice, my heart beating perhaps a little too fast. Lydia sighs, and then after a few more moments, breaks away from Ben and looks between the two of us worriedly.

"They've been taken. Most of the town is gone, but there are a few of us left. I'm the only one from the pack left though. I'm sorry." Lydia explains to Ben and I solemnly. I stare at her in shock, unable to believe what I'm hearing.

"What do you mean they've been taken? Where are they?" I ask, my voice sounding harsher than I intended. I can feel the panic rising up in me though, knowing that my boyfriend and the pack have been taken by something.

"I don't know where they are, or what exactly they were taken by. It's just all happened so quick. I can feel that there could be a lot of death coming soon, but I can't see what is causing it. All I know that it's some sort of monster. Well, monsters. I don't know how to stop them." Lydia informs Ben and I sadly.

"Great. Another unknown monster that we are supposed to beat." I groan, sarcasm dripping into my voice as I roll my eyes. Lydia gives me a sympathetic look.

"The last conversation I had with Scott was about how he's glad that you were safe down in Atlantia, and that you won't be mysteriously taken, just like the rest of us. He had hoped that you would stand down in Atlantia for a while, maybe until this all blew over or until we could have stopped the monsters. Unfortunately, neither happened." Lydia informs me, and my heart sinks and it feels like my stomach drops down deep into the earth below me. The last conversation I had with Scott, I promised him that I would be back really soon. Now, he'll have no idea if I'm safe or not, and who the hell knows what state Scott and the others are in, if they're even still alive. What if Scott's lasts thoughts were about him being glad that I was safe? A painful lump forms in my throat and I can't swallow it down, my eyes stinging slightly with tears. I should have made that last conversation count more. I should have reminded Scott how much I love him, even though he already knows.

"Stiles, it's okay. We'll find Scott. We'll find everyone." Ben says, pulling me out of my thoughts. Ben places a hand on my shoulder comfortingly and gives me a reassuring smile, which does make me feel a little bit better.

"Thanks, Ben." I reply, giving him the best grateful I can muster right now, even though I'm still worrying about Scott, Kara and the others pretty badly.