AN: Thank you to YesteryearsGirl and Shadow-wolf78 for showing an interesting in this story! Per their request I am extending this to a second chapter! Thank you again!

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Stiles was not sure what set it off. It was everything and nothing. He was constantly reminded of the carnage the Nogitsune left behind, be he had been dealing. He was keeping busy. Stiles helped Scott; they had saved Derek. After that he was trying to jump into anything that could need their help. He needed to stay focused on something else. Scott, however, was trying to only get involved when absolutely necessary.

Malia had also been adjusting more. She still had a long way to go, but she was beginning to need Stiles' help less and less. Of course he was happy about that, but his distractions were going away. One night in particular Stiles could not sleep. He was afraid. He hoped this would be a night Malia would crawl through his window and hold him, protect him, but she never came. So he left.

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Scott was asleep when he got the call. When he saw the time and who was calling, his mind flooded back to that night. The night that really started it all for him. Panic rushed through him as he jumped out of bed and answered the phone.

"Stiles? What is it? What's wrong?" Scott could hear Stiles' choppy breathing.

"Scott? I-" He was crying.

"Stiles, where are you? Talk to me please!" Scott was already dressed and heading out the door.

"I don't know why I came here."

"Where? Stiles, where are you?" He stopped in front of his bike.

There was a deep breath. "The Nemeton."

What? "Are you sure?"

"Y-yeah, I'm not asleep this time. All ten fingers are accounted for."

"Okay, just stay there, don't move. I'll be right there."

"Okay."

Scott hung up, started his bike, and went straight to the woods. He didn't like this one bit. What if Stiles was possessed again? Or, what if the Nogitsune never left? When Scott got to the edge of the woods he abandoned his bike and ran to the stump in the woods. This night was bringing back too many bad memories. When he got to the Nemeton, Stiles was sitting on it, reminding him too much of when he saw Stiles playing Go in his own mind. Scott cautiously stepped up to his best friend.

"Stiles?"

Stiles didn't look, but his breath hitched at the sound of Scott's voice. "So many people. They're all dead, and it's my fault."

Scott walked around Stiles so he could face him. "It's not your fault. You had no control."

"I let it in." Their eyes met.

Scott had been waiting for this a long time, he just wish it happened in one of their houses, not on the thing that started it all. "You didn't have a choice."

"I should have been stronger. I should have tried harder." Tears fell from his eyes.

Scott sat down next to him. "You survived being possessed. That makes the strongest person I know. It got in your mind Stiles, you couldn't help it."

"I remember everything I did. Even after the split, I couldn't see everything it did, but I could feel it. I could feel Allison, and Aiden; those people at the hospital, everything that happened. I knew."

Hearing Allison's name always hit a sore spot, but Scott needed to stay strong. "But you had no control over it. It wanted the pain, your pain, everyone's pain."

"That's not all Scott. I don't just remember the way it felt...I liked it."

Scott was taken back for a moment. "What?"

Stiles looked down at his hands. "The pain, the way it felt. It was like energy coursing through me. I-I was so strong. I've never been strong, or calm, or in control. It felt good. He had every move planned, always a step ahead." His face grew dark. "You know why that was, Scott? I started helping."

"Stiles, stop." Scott didn't want to hear this.

"No, Scott, I helped it. The chess board in my room was my idea, getting Derek in the mix, leading everyone on a wild goose chase. I wanted to go up against him, and everyone. I still dream about those moments and part of me goes back there, part of me wants-"

"Stiles! Shut up!" Scott didn't like this, Stiles was scaring him. Anger flooded his eyes. "Did you want the Nogitsune to kill your dad?"

Stiles looked up with wide eyes. "No-"

"Did you want it to kill any of us?"

"No, but-"

"Did you want to see your family suffer, did you want to kill Allison?"

"No."

"Do you want to see anyone hurt now? If you could be strong like that again, would kill someone for fun?"

Stiles cried again, harder this time. He couldn't speak. Of course he didn't want to hurt anyone. He shook his head.

Scott calmed. "Okay. The Nogitsune had a hold on you Stiles. It put thoughts in your head. It messed with you, trapped you, hurt you. Even if you liked it, even if you helped, that doesn't make you bad. That doesn't make you like him. You fought the whole time. Just because it manipulated you doesn't mean any of it was your fault." He grabbed Stiles shoulders. "Never think that."

Stiles could not stop crying, and Scott pulled him into a hug.

"It's just been so hard. I've been trying to forget, but everything reminds me. I'm so tired of being scared. I just wanna forget."

"Shhh…I know." Scott rocked him a bit.

"Every time I go into the hospital I wonder if one of the nurses or doctors will recognize me, give me that same terrified look my dad gives me; the same one as your mom, like I'm going to do something again. I don't deserve to be here, Scott. I should have died, I should be locked up."

"No, you shouldn't have. Stiles we don't blame you. It tricked us before, so our parents are just worried after seeing you like that. It's not your fault. It's hard I know, but you'll get better. They won't always give that look, and you'll be able to go anywhere without worrying what that thing left behind. It's going to be okay, Stiles. You're going to be okay."

Stiles pulled away and sniffed. "How can you just forgive me, you act like nothing happened."

"You're my brother, that's never going to change. If you did all that yourself, I'd still care about you. I'd still protect you. And if this was turned the other way around, I think you'd be the same. You wouldn't blame me, because you'd know it wasn't my fault."

Stiles took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

Scott shook his head. "Don't be. Now come on. I don't know about you, but I hate this place."

Stiles smiled a little, and followed Scott out of the woods. "Thanks."

Scott nodded and led him home.

Life would never stop being hard for Stiles, but with Scott there it made it a little easier. Stiles would always have Scott to catch him when he fell, because that was what family was for.

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AN: Thank you so much for reading! Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Unless anyone has ideas, or a want for this to continue then this will be the last chapter. Thank you again so much!