Unspoken - Book 4 - S.S.

Prologue: Missing

Lydia wasn't sure what it was that had brought her there that day, but there she was, kneeling by her grave after having laid out a big bouquet of sunflowers for her. It had been three months since she... Since she had been gone and, for the first few days, Lydia had come to visit her everyday, kneeling there and talking about anything and everything that she could think about. Because she knew... Wherever she was, she was still hearing her and she still wanted to know about how her friends were.

So Lydia would come to tell her.

The first day after her funeral, Lydia had come to tell her the first news.

"Danny left." She said and Lydia could imagine the frown that would form in her best friend's face as her voice took that slightly upset tone that it made her voice sound almost squeaky as she asked why? "After what happened to Aiden, Ethan is leaving too. And after... Well, after what happened to you... I think Danny decided he couldn't be in Beacon Hills anymore."

Four days after that, Lydia came back, with slightly happier news.

"I got Declan out of the house today." Lydia smiled a little through her tears. "Your dad said he hadn't really come out of his bedroom since you... Well... But I convinced him to go bowling with me. We had fun. We remembered how much you sucked at bowling. I think he had fun. I hope he had fun... I'll take care of him for you. And your dad too. He went back to work already and he's trying to stay strong for Declan, but... I'll look after him for you too."

Three days after, Lydia returned with even better news.

"Scott laughed today." She said, a small smile on her own lips at the mere image of their alpha finally letting out a loud, genuine laugh after so long. "It was a stupid joke Kira made, but he laughed. It was so nice seeing him happy again. I mean... After Allison, it had been a long time since he smiled, let alone laugh, so... I don't know... I just thought you'd like to know."

Lydia sighed then, pressing a hand over her gravestone as she traced her name with her fingers gently.

"Stiles is still very much upset." Lydia admitted with a quiet voice, almost as if scared she'd be offending her somehow. "He's coming out of the house and he's been hanging out with us some, but... It's not the same. We're trying, we really are, but... It's hard. I think he blames himself still for what happened. We told him not to, but he won't listen, of course. Though I have a feeling if you were still here, you'd be doing the same, wouldn't you?"

After that, Lydia spent a few days without visiting, what happened next taking a few days to process in her mind and even more to build the courage to tell her. Eventually, she did. After three whole weeks, but she did.

"I don't... Actually know how to tell you." Lydia started, looking down at her lap as she knelt down in front of her grave and played with the ends of her skirt. "I don't even know how it happened. I just blinked and suddenly Stiles and Malia were kinda dating? I'm not sure they are actually dating, but... It looks like it. You remember Malia, don't you? The werecoyote we saved? She's been hanging out with Scott a lot so he could help her with her abilities, so I guess that's how they grew closer. She's nice. Really, she is. But I just... God, I miss you so much and... I wish you had the chance you deserved to be happy."

Lydia sobbed quietly, her eyes filling with tears as she cried over the grave of her dead best friend.

"But they're okay..." Lydia sniffled gently as she continued to talk. "They're all okay. And I'll make sure they'll be okay. Especially... Especially Stiles. I'll make sure he's healthy and back to his old self. Because that's how you fell for him, isn't it? I'll make sure he gets back to his usual, hyperactive, sarcastic, annoying ways because, somehow, that's the way you loved him. I'll look after him for you, Dia, I promise I'll take care of him for you because I know that's what you'd have wanted. And Scott too. And Kira. And Malia. And me. I'm taking care of me too because I know you would've if you were still here. You would've been taking care of all of us, I know it, so I will too. For you..."

Sobbing again, Lydia let her tears fall against the grass beneath her knees.

"God, Dia, I wish you were still here..."

Lydia cried out again, her body shaking for a second, before she stopped when a voice sounded in the back of her head, sounding lost and distant and unfamiliar.

Find me... Lydia... Find me...

Lydia frowned, lifting her head as she looked around, trying to find anyone who could have called out for her, but finding the cemetery empty instead. Before she could even start asking herself exactly what was happening, however, Lydia felt her phone vibrating and, suddenly, the voice started to make a little more sense.

"I'll be back soon, Dia." Lydia promised, kissing the tips of her fingers before pressing them against the gravestone in front of her as she stood up as she always did whenever she came to visit her best friend. "Soon, I promise."

And, with that, Lydia walked away and back toward her car, ready to drive herself toward the clinic after the text she had just received from her alpha.

Scott: meet me at the clinic in fifteen? I think Derek is missing and we need your help to find him