Protect || Stiles Stilinski DISCONTINUED

Protect || Chapter Three

          Katarina rushed through the school, hurrying to get to the boy's locker room before Coach Finstock started the meeting before the early morning lacrosse practice.  Sam and Annie had promised her that they would explain everything, but they had family affairs to sort out before anything else could be done.  So, much to Kat's dismay, she was forced to go to school instead of finding out what really happened to her best friend's family and pack or even find her childhood friend, who was still running around naked in the woods of Beacon Hills.

          She did, however, find out that there had been a grave robbery during the night, and that the robber hadn't taken the usual jewelry, but rather the person's liver.  As much as she hated to think of the possibility, she couldn't help thinking that it may have been Lydia.

          Kat's heeled boots contrasted against the cleats on the tile floor of the locker room as she entered, keeping her eyes down and making her way to stand beside Coach Finstock.  She pulled a folder (which Annie had decorated to read "Lacrosse" in sparkles across the top and "Katarina McCall - Student Coach" across the bottom) out of her bag just as Coach blew his whistle, earning the attention of each player in the room.

          "Let's go!" He shouted, "I have an announcement.  Gather 'round." The team was taking their sweet time, and Coach wasn't having it. "Quicker!" As an afterthought, he sighed, "Danny, put a shirt on."

          Kat looked up at the team and met Scott's eyes.  He let out a small breath of relief when he saw her, he was beginning to worry because she wasn't home when he woke up and she hadn't been answering her phone.

          "Stilinski, that means you!" Coach's voice made Kat jump slightly in her spot beside him, hating that he always had to be so loud. "Let's go, gather 'round.  Listen up.  Police are asking for help on a missing child advisory.  It's a sick girl, roaming around, totally naked -- "

          Whistles from the team cut off Coach and caused Kat to glare daggers their ways.  Coach cleared his throat and continued, "Now, it's supposed to get below forty degrees tonight.  I don't know about you, but the last time it was that cold and I was running around naked . . . " he paused as if it would add some form of emphasis, "I lost a testicle to exposure!  Now, I don't want the same thing happening to some innocent girl.  So police are organizing search parties for tonight."

          Coach took a paper from Kat's hand and shook it in the air before pinning it into the wall next to his office. "Sign up, find the missing girl, you get an automatic "A" in my class." 

          The team cheered and hastily moved to sign up for a search party, all except for Jackson, Scott, and Stiles, who Kat joined near the showers as they spoke in hushed voices.

          "If Lydia wants to take a naked hike in the woods, why should I care?" Jackson asked, letting his smirk drip with smugness.  Kat growled and Stiles gripped her elbow to keep her in line as Scott tried to convince Jackson to help them.

          "Because we have a pretty good idea that she might be . . . " Scott hesitated, making his voice even lower, "You know, turning."

          "Turning?" Jackson asked, as if he had no clue what they were talking about.

          "Yeah," Scott said, confused about why Jackson asked that and why he had to clarify, "Turning."

          "Into . . . ?"

          Kat went to lunge for him, eager to hurt him for being so coy, but Stiles reached around her and grabbed her other elbow, pulling her into his chest and sarcastically replying, "A unicorn.  What do you think, dumbass?"