Heliophobia (Teen Wolf/Vampire Diaries) [2]

26-A Plan Is Only As Good As Its Execution

The police are everywhere. Cop cars line Main Street, lights flashing and sirens blaring, fencing off the center of town. Elena parks on the curb opposite the Grill, and the three of us watch in horror as police swarm the  department store next to City Hall.

"What happened?" Elena whispers, voicing my own thoughts.

I shake my head, unable to speak, watching as two paramedics carry a man out on a stretcher. He's covered in blood, his lips parted in a bone chilling cry of pain. The door to the store swings open behind them and a figure steps out, barely recognizable by the blood covering his face.

"Oh my..." I trail off, pushing the car door open and taking off down the street. "Sheriff!" My voice barley cuts through the crown that has formed, but I push through, stopping when I reach the front. A line of caution tape is spread out before me, cutting off my access to the scene. I cup my hands around my mouth. "Sheriff!"

Sheriff Stilinski's head turns, recognition flooding his features when he sees me. His eyes squint in the sunlight and when he raises his hand to block the rays, I see an array of emotions on his face. I glance down at the caution and back up at him, but he shakes his head. I purse my lips, debating whether or not to tear through the tape, when I see him sigh and change direction. He jogs over to me, grabbing my arm and dragging me off to the sidewalk where the crowd is thin.

"What are you doing here?" His voice is firm, but full of worry, and that's when I see the fear in his eyes. "You need to leave. Go home, and make sure my son stays away."

"Sheriff..." My mouth is dry and my words get caught in my throat. I swallow and try again. "That's a lot of blood." My voice is weak, and I stare up at his face, his temple and right cheek covered in red.

Sheriff Stilinski's eyes soften. "Ah, hell." He mutters. He places his hands comfortingly on my shoulders and pulls me into an awkward embrace. "It's not mine." He says reassuringly.  I take a deep breath and nod, relieved that he's not hurt.

"Dad!" A familiar voice cuts through the crowd and I turn to see Stiles and Scott pushing through the hordes of people. Stiles' eyes land on me, and for a split second, pure happiness lights his features, but then he turns back to his dad, his eyes once more full of worry. He rushes him, embracing his father and pulling away with wide eyes. "Are you-"

"It's not mine." Sheriff Stilinski repeats. "I'm fine. The three of you need to leave. This is a crime scene." He orders, giving Stiles a pointed look. For once, the boys don't protest, and the three of us back away and don't stop until we're across the street and out of the crowd.

"What happened-" I am cut off by arms wrapping around and squeezing the breath out of me. I can't hide my smile as I return the embrace, happy to be home.

"You weren't supposed to be home until tomorrow." Stiles says, releasing me and stepping back.

"We didn't learn anything, so we decided to come home."

"I'm glad you did." Stiles squeezes my hand, and I return the gesture.

The sound of sirens cut in, and I snap back to reality. "What happened here?"

Scott and Stiles immediately frown, becoming somber once more. "There was another attack." Scott says. "The tomb vampires attacked the department store."

My eyes widen in shock. "Are you sure?"

Stiles nods. "We heard it over the scanner. The cops think it was just some psychos with guns, and so far, there haven't been any survivors to tell the real story."

My heart breaks at the news, guilt overwhelming me. We are responsible for this, if only partially, for bringing this horror to our town. My gaze drifts to Elena's car still parked at the curb. Allison and Elena are peering at us through the windows, grave expressions on their faces. I turn back to Scott and Stiles. "We need to stop them."