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Lacy here with our next Effie chapter. Almost wrote Heidi. That's what I get for working on them both in one day. Ah, schedules. Anywho, fair warning, most of season five is ridiculously long, chapters wise. Because it's so Stiles focused for big chunks of it, I have a lot to play with for Effie. This chapter is kind of all over the place for Effie. So just read on!
Disclaimer: I own only Effie.
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Effie was helping her father get ready for a date. She was helping her father get ready for a date and her boyfriend was in South America. Something was very wrong with her life.
"You wear ties all the time." Effie pointed out, watching John fumble with the navy blue tie he was trying to put on. "Sure, you don't wear them every day, but you still know how to put one on. How is this-" she paused, sniffing. Then grinned. "You're nervous."
John gave her a look and went on to fix his hair in a small mirror. "Oh, I should've got a haircut."
"Well, you know," Stiles spoke up. "someone your age should be happy you still have hair to cut."
Scott smiled. "I think you look great."
"Well, thank you," John said to the alpha. "child I should have had." He ignored the hurt looks Effie and Stiles exchanged. Come on, how often did he tease them about their relationships? It was only fair! "Oh, what the hell am I doing?" he started yanking on his tie. "This is a terrible idea."
"What, Dad," Stiles grabbed John by the shoulders and Effie swooped in to fix his tie. "Dad, it's one date, okay? The town of Beacon Hills won't implode while you're out with one woman. Or man."
John smirked. "It's a woman, Stiles."
"Okay."
"A very beautiful woman."
Effie nodded. "What beautiful woman, by the way?"
"None of your business." John answered. "Any of you."
Scott was smiling like he knew something the twins didn't, while they exchanged curious looks.
"I wanna know." they chorused.
John just grinned at them.
"Stilinski!"
A sudden rage filled shout of their last name had the three Stilinskis turning and exiting the office.
"Stilinski!"
A repeat offender, Donovan Dontai, was the one screaming as he struggled against Parrish and another deputy, Valerie Clarke.
"I'm gonna kill you." Donovan said once they'd all excited John's office.
John sighed. "Donovan, if you think that shocks me, remember it was well documented in your Anger Expression Inventory. Deputies, escort the prisoner out."
"I'm not angry like I'm gonna throw a brick through your window." Donovan went on. "I'm angry, like I'm gonna find you, I'm gonna get a knife and I'm gonna stab you with it until you're dead. And when you look at me and you ask me why, remember right now. Because this is why."
Silence rang through the station before a slow clap started, via Effie, and Stiles spoke.
"Wow, that was awesome." Stiles said. "That was awesome. That was great." Effie nodded her agreement, mimicking her brother's crossed arms. "Can we do one more? Give us another, maybe like Christopher Walken this time, you know."
No one seemed amused.
"Okay, you know what?" Stiles picked up. "It's fine. You'll have plenty of time to work on it when you're in a tiny little cell, you know. Just stuck there, forever."
"Maybe you'll have a cellmate who can be your audience." Effie threw out. "More than one, actually. Since, ya know, forever and all."
Donovan almost looked amused at Stiles and Effie's words. He even started to let Parrish and Valerie lead him out. Before he snapped and started trying to charge the twins. Scott jumped in front of the two, Effie and Stiles calling his name in warning as John yelled for the deputies to get Donovan out of the station.
"What the hell is an Anger Expression Inventory?" Scott asked once they were gone.
"It's a test you take when you're applying to become a deputy." Stiles answered.
"That guy wanted to be a cop?" Scott's tone couldn't have been any more disbelieving.
Effie nodded. "At least now he's getting the full law enforcement experience."
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Effie looked up from her sketchbook as Stiles drove them and Scott from the police station. And Effie healed Stiles's hand, again. He really had to stop hitting Roscoe in moments of anger for two reason; One, Roscoe wasn't the one he was angry at and two, Effie was going to get sick of healing his broken bones real fast.
"Lydia." she all but breathed her best friend's name.
"What?" Both boys turned to look at her, Stiles after he stopped the jeep.
Effie held up her sketch book. It showed Lydia's face and Donovan running from a police van. "Turn on the scanner. Lydia's about to find another body."
Sure enough, as soon as Stiles turned on the radio, a call went out for a scene involving a police van with one dead and two in critical condition. Seeing the terrified resolve on his sister's face, Stiles threw the jeep into drive and hit the gas.
As they went, Effie tore the first sketch out and set her pencil over a clean page. She looked at Donovan, stared at what she'd already drawn, and waited for something new to hit her. And it didn't take long.
Scott turned, hearing the sound of pencil on paper, and saw Effie's fixed stare and rapidly moving hand.
"She's drawing again," he told Stiles.
Stiles nodded, eyes focused on the road. "Leave her be. Whatever happened, she might draw the key to figuring it out."
They arrived at the scene and emergency vehicles were already all over the place. The boys looked at Effie, who was still drawing and hopped from the jeep. As they crossed the barricade, Stiles touched Lydia's elbow.
"Ef's in the jeep," he said quietly. "she might need someone."
Lydia nodded. "Okay."
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Only once Scott came back over the radio with having found Donovan and Lydia confirming that it was Tracy Stewart, their classmate and friend, who'd attacked the van, did Lydia make her way to Effie in the jeep. Before even getting in, she could see Effie was still drawing away, two finished sketches already tossed aside so she could continue the next. Lydia climbed into the front passenger seat and picked up the papers.
The first was Tracy, fangs of a werewolf showing in her mouth while the scales of the Kanima decorated her skin. The second was Donovan. Only, he was dead with a giant metal rod sticking out of his chest. It almost looked like he fell back on it and was impaled.
Finally, Effie tore off the third sketch and dropped back with a shaky sigh that was almost a sob. Giving her a minute, Lydia looked at the final sketch.
It was Parrish. Only he was covered in flames and was carrying a no face body in his arms.
"You ever miss third grade?" Effie asked quietly. "When our biggest worry was keeping Scott and Stiles from taking all the crayons?"
Lydia couldn't help her smile. "So much." she reached out, setting a hand on Effie's knee. "You okay?"
Effie shook her head. "I've never had an episode that bad without Derek around. My Spark and fox were weaker the last time we separated willingly. Now, it's like they're even stronger."
"Your Spark and fox were separate parts of you last time," Lydia pointed out. "Now, they've become one. That's bound to give them a power boost." she watched her best friend. "Want me to stay over tonight?"
Effie nodded. "Please."
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"Tracy wasn't just having trouble sleeping." Lydia said the next morning when the pack gathered around Stiles's jeep at school. "It was a real disorder. It was night terrors."
"Well, now she's the night terror." Stiles said. "Especially since no one can find her."
"Okay," Scott spoke. "I know we're all tired and miserable," he paused and turned to Mason, the newest member after Liam told him everything. "Except for you."
Mason looked at him. "Oh. I'm sorry. This is all just mind blowing." he looked at Kira. "You're a kitsune. I don't even know what that is."
Kira nodded. "I'm still learning."
"Liam," Stiles spoke to the beta. "we said you could tell him. Not invite him to the inner circle."
Liam, for his part, looked embarrassed for his best friend.
"I'm in the inner circle?" Mason questioned.
"No." Liam and Stiles snapped.
"Guys, look," Scott took over. "back to Tracy. She's just one lone wolf. We can find her."
"One lone serial killing wolf." Malia pointed out.
"Uh, she only killed one person, you know." Stiles said. "The other two were mauled."
Effie rubbed her face. "Alright, what do we do when we catch her?"
"I say we put her down." Malia suggested. Looks went through the pack and agreement seemed to be on everyone's face.
"Intense." Mason decided to comment.
"Guys, let's concentrate on catching her first." Scott decided. "We'll figure out the rest later." he leaned his arms on the jeep. "Ef, can we see the sketches?"
Effie nodded and removed the papers from her bag. She laid them out in the order that she'd drawn them. Tracy, Donovan and Parrish.
"Okay," Stiles picked up the one of Tracy. "so she's got wolf fangs and Kanima scales. How is that possible?"
Effie shook her head. "You know I can't always explain what I draw. But," she swallowed and pulled out her sketch book. "what's really bothering me are the faces I drew last night." she opened the book and revealed the collage of faces, much like the one she'd drawn of Derek when he was losing his powers. Only these faces were like something out of a horror movie, with masks and breathing apparatuses. "It's like the alpha eyes last year. Once I started drawing them, they're everywhere."
Liam and Lydia stepped closer as Effie started shaking slightly and her gaze dropped to the ground. Liam set his hand on her shoulder and squeezed reassuringly while Lydia let Effie lean against her.
Scott traced the faces. "Let's focus on Tracy, first. I get the feeling she could lead us to them."
"And what if they come after Effie?" Stiles asked.
Scott looked at the twins. "I won't let anyone get hurt."
"Unfortunately," Effie found herself repeating the words she'd said to Theo. "That's not for you to decide."
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Entering Tracy's house felt a bit like entering Eichen House for Effie. There were so many different feelings and emotions filling the air. It was almost overwhelming. But none of the pack wanted her alone and since she could smell chemosignals, she'd gone with Lydia and Kira to check out Tracy's place.
"Hold on," Kira stopped them before they could enter Tracy's bedroom. "Isn't this like a crime scene or something?"
Lydia scoffed. "No." she pushed the door open and they saw the crime scene tape across Tracy's bed. "Maybe. Don't worry about it."
"Okay, so what are we looking for?" Kira asked.
"I am not sure." Lydia answered. "I'm mostly just following a feeling."
"Your feelings usually lead to dead bodies." Kira pointed out.
Lydia turned on Tracy's bedside light. "Well, let me know if you find one."
Kira looked less than pleased at Lydia's words so Effie spoke from the window.
"There's no body," she said. "I'd be able to smell it."
Kira sighed. "Okay, now I feel a bit better."
Effie ran her fingers along the sill. "She hadn't felt safe in here in a long time." she turned. "The rest of the house, her feelings are lighter, easier. But in here, she was terrified."
Lydia exhaled. "Let's find out why."
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Effie kept turning the dreamcatcher Tracy had received from her father over in her hands. Tracy attacked and killed people trying to help her; her own father and her psychiatrist. But one other person had also tried to help her. Lydia's mother, who was currently dropping Melissa off at the police station after helping her get ready for a date. With John. Derek had been right.
Effie would focus on that later. When Tracy wasn't on her way to kill another person.
It took no time at all for the three girls to reach the station and charge through the front doors. Melissa and Natalie, Lydia's mother, were standing near John's office, while the sheriff was beside Valerie's desk.
"Mom, she's coming." Lydia said. "Tracy's coming for you."
"What?" Natalie was confused. "What do you mean for me?"
Instead of answering, the girls all slowly looked up, following the growing hissing sound. Tracy was already there, nearly completely transformed, on the ceiling.
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Effie worked seamlessly with Kira to fight Tracy back as she attacked with her tail and claws. They had to be careful, dodging around to keep from getting scratched. One lucky swipe and they'd be paralyzed.
"Kira, Effie! Look out!" John called from the floor. Tracy had already knocked his gun from his hand and caught him with a claw.
Effie kept an eye on Lydia, Natalie and Melissa. Both older women had stepped back as far as they could, Melissa in front of Lydia's mother as she had more experience with the supernatural.
"Mom, run." Lydia said. "Run!"
Effie and Kira stopped at a standoff with Tracy, watching as Melissa pushed Natalie towards the back exit of the station. Tracy went to run after them, but was distracted by Lydia moving in her path. She whipped her tail around fast, catching Lydia in the side. It happened so fast, Effie, who'd already started moving towards the red head, couldn't stop it and Lydia fell to the ground outside John's office, holding her bleeding side. Leaving Kira to fight Tracy off, Effie fell to her knees beside Lydia and placed her hand over the wound.
"Hold on, Lyds," Effie panted. "I can heal you."
Lydia shook her head, shaking and sweating. "No. You need to save your strength. I'll be okay."
They looked up as Kira jumped on one of the desks. Kira started twirling her sword around and her kitsune aura suddenly became visible, like flames around her body. They watched in awe as she jumped down and with a single stroke cut Tracy's tail from her body. Tracy took the moment of calm to run from the station, while Kira seemed to return to herself.
Kira joined the two and helped Effie moved Lydia into John's office then helped apply pressure to the wound.
"Careful," They heard John said.
"Malia," Lydia called out to the werecoyote.
"Lydia,"
"Hey," Kira got her attention. "it's not as bad as it looks."
"Malia," Lydia spoke again. "listen, Tracy, she thinks-she thinks she's asleep. She think she's dreaming. It's a night terror."
"I-I don't know what that-"
"She's-she's not dreaming. She's not asleep. Get her to understand."
"Malia," John spoke from the other room. "basement. They're in the basement."
"They?"
"Tracy, Melissa and Lydia's mother." Effie finally spoke. Even though Lydia told her not to heal the wound, Effie was still using power to stem the blood flow, not wanting to see her best friend get any more pale. Malia nodded and ran from the room. Effie moved one hand to brush Lydia's hair back. "Just hold on, Lydia. Hold on."
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Terrible episode ending. I swear, I've never, up until that point, cursed so long and hard at this show. Obviously, that changed. Fast. But, there we have it. Effie is using her magic to stem Lydia's bleeding, Tracy has lost her tail and Kira has snapped. Just what is going on with our Kitsune, right? Let me know what you think, flame policy stands and thanks for reading.
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