Disclaimer: I own NOTHING, except Poppy and any other OCs you might notice within this story. (Although I would not mind owning ANY of the boys from this show ;))

Poppy Fairchild; the pretty red head moved to Beacon Hills after a house fire took everything from her and the last thing that she expected to find was werewolves and hunters plus more tearing up the town in a war that's waged since the begging of time. She finds herself in a whirlwind of violence, love, hate, and even innocence hiding somewhere in there. Stiles/OC and Isaac/OC

A Wise Man Once Said "Appearances Can Be Deceiving"

Chapter Nine

TATTOO

Poppy POV

"Isaac! Isaac!" I screamed as I ran.

My voice had become hoarse from the amount of screaming I had done in the past couple of hours but I didn't care…I had to find him. Blood was running down my cheek, dripping onto my neck from several cuts inflicted only minutes before. I could feel bruises rising up on other parts of my body and the cuts underneath my clothing were splotching my shirt and jeans with blood. "Isaac!" I screamed again as I pushed tree limbs and branches out of my way.

I heard a howl to my left and took a sharp right, narrowly dodging a tree trunk, "Isaac!" I screamed again, feeling helpless.

I stopped, resting my blood soaked hands against a tree as I panted. Obviously Isaac was occupied at the moment but I needed help, "Dammit, SCOTT!" I screamed as I picked up my pace again, hoping the beta would hear me, "Scott!"

There was a rustling to my right and I stopped, turning to face it. An Alpha came out from behind the brush with a twisted smile spread across his face. He was a big guy with brown hair and his teeth and claws were fully elongated. "Well princess, hope you didn't think it'd be that easy to get away." He said in a deep voice.

He lunged and I jumped up, grabbing onto the tree branch above me, but as I started to pull myself up the alpha grabbed my ankle and flung me to the ground. I hit the ground with a thud and a growl ripped loose from my throat as my eyes gleamed purple. I jumped up onto my feet and glared at him, "I'm an Alpha, sweetheart, and you're just a half-breed, give up." He snarled at me.

I snorted, "Cause that's gonna happen." I said before throwing a wolvesbane soaked knife into his shoulder.

He let out a roar and I took the distraction to my advantage as I ran away at werewolf speed. Suddenly I was outside my house, not questioning it I dashed up the porch and unlocked the door. I hurried into the house, locking the door behind me. I pressed my back against the front door, panting. After a few moments, my breathing calmed and I walked into the kitchen. I stopped suddenly when I saw the bloody handprints and indentions on the floor where nails had dug in. Blood was splattered across the cabinets and dishes from dinner were broken and spread across the room. The dinner table had blood smeared across it as well as a chopping knife sticking out of the center. All of the chairs were overturned except for one. I swallowed and took a step into the kitchen as my father stood from his chair, "Now how did you get out of the basement?" He asked with a coy smile.

I shot straight up in bed, covering my mouth to muffle the scream that slipped from my lips. Across the room Allison shifted in her bed but didn't wake. A thin layer of sweat coated my forehead as my breath came in pants. I had been having nightmares like that one all summer and didn't know how to make them stop. I grabbed my covers from the bottom of the bed were I had kicked them and pulled them up over me as I caught the time on Allison's alarm clock; 2:38 A.M. I sighed and shut my eyes tight as I curled up on my side, maybe if I didn't think about the nightmares, I wouldn't have another one tonight. Maybe I could actually get some sleep before the first day of school.

I woke up to Allison's alarm and groaned, burying my face in my pillow. I felt something hit the back of my head, "Poppy, c'mon!" Allison called.

"Nmh." Was my response as I wrapped my arms in a vice grip around my pillow.

I heard Allison sigh and felt my blankets being ripped off of me. I quickly wrapped my legs around my pillow and held on tight, "Poppy it's the first day of school." Allison said in a pleading tone.

"That doesn't motivate me." I mumbled.

I felt arms encircle my middle and suddenly I was being lifted up off the bed, pillow still in grasp. My eyes shot open and Allison deposited me on our bathroom floor. I watched her in shock as she ripped my pillow away, "Poppy you barely weigh 102 and you're short stop looking at me like I just turned into the Hulk, a fifth grader could pick you up." She told me before walking out of the bathroom.

"Cheater!" I called after her as I spotted my clothes on the closed toilet seat.

While Allison and Chris had gone to France I had stayed here despite them asking and asking for me to go along with them. I instead worked on my hunting skills, something that Chris would have looked down on thanks to his new no supernatural creatures rule. I had also helped them find the lovely apartment that we were now living in. Chris had given Allison and me the bigger of the two bedrooms so that there would be enough space for all of our things. I grabbed the red sundress and quickly slipped it on followed by a light wash jean vest. I quickly straightened my hair and applied my makeup before leaving the bathroom. Allison walked in as soon as I exited and I made my way to our closet. I grabbed my cowboy boots and slipped into those before grabbing my bag and slipping it over my shoulder. Allison came out of the bathroom and I immediately recognized the look on her face, "Do you want to ride together to school?" I asked noticing how she wrapped her arms around her body, "I can cancel on Stiles."

"No, no its fine." Allison said softly, "I have to take Lydia anyways so I'll just meet you there."

I nodded and grabbed my keys and phone. As I walked past her I stopped and grabbed her hand, "It's going to be fine, Al. This year will be different." I told her.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." She replied not meeting my eyes.

3rd Person POV

Sheriff Stilinski walked into his son's room to see him typing away on his laptop, "Do you know how many vehicle collisions last year involved deer? 247,000." Stiles read off the screen.

"Oh God, please go to school." The sheriff replied looking like he regretted ever introducing his son to the Internet.

"But that's crossing the road; the one last night came right down the middle." Stiles continued, oblivious to his father's pleas.

"Not gonna beg you." The sheriff said walking inside the room to stand behind his son.

"Yeah, you could, I'm impervious to your influence anyway." Stiles replied matter of factly.

"Would you consider a bribe?" Sheriff Stilinski asked looking tired.

"Couldn't meet my price." His son replied, typing away.

"Extortion?"

"You've got nothing on me." Stiles retorted.

"What if I had Poppy come up here?" Mr. Stilinski asked in one last attempt.

"She thinks I'm cute when I'm concentrating." Stiles replied without hesitation.

His dad sighed, "Alright…" He trailed off as he reached forward to grasp the back of his son's chair.

The sheriff began pulling the chair away from the desk, "Dad? Dad, what are you doing?"

The sheriff ignored Stiles' questioning and pulled the chair out from under his son.

Poppy POV

Not long after a big thud sounded through the house Stiles finally came down with his dad right behind him, "But dad-"

"Son, school. Go there." Mr. Stilinski said handing Stiles his backpack.

I laughed and grabbed Stiles' arm, "C'mon your research can wait." I said pulling him out the door, "Bye Mr. Stilinski!" I called over my shoulder.

"247,000." Stiles stated, "That's how many vehicle collisions last year involved deer." He told me as we climbed into his Jeep, "But that's crossing the road. I need to know how many involved deer going straight down the middle."

Stiles pulled out of the driveway, "Stiles, we have computers as school, besides it was just a freak accident. Don't make it out as more than it is." I said toying with my necklace.

Stiles gave me a look, "What?" I asked.

He sighed as he pulled into the school parking lot, "You and I both know that wasn't just a freak accident." Stiles said as he parked the Jeep.

"It could've been." I said, "We've had four months of calm why would that change now? Unless two other incidents happen I'm not considering it supernatural."

We got out of the Jeep, "What like things happening in threes?" Stiles asked as we walked up to the school, "You believe in that stuff?"

I laughed, "After everything that's happened you don't?" I retorted.

Scott joined us, "Hey, how'd your tattoo turn out?" I asked him as we walked inside.

Scott sighed, "It healed." He said obviously disappointed, "But I was thinking that I could ask Derek for help."

"You want to ask Derek for help? Why? Why?" Stiles asked in an annoyed tone.

"He's got the triskelion tattooed on his back so there had to be a way without it healing right?" Scott replied as we came up to a bulletin board.

"Yeah but still; doesn't he have his hands a little full?" Stiles said pointing to the missing persons pictures of Erica and Boyd.

My heart sank and I sighed, "Isaac said that they don't have any leads whatsoever." I said to the two boys.

I saw Stiles' shoulders tense but ignored it, "Look these are the applications for the career advisor. I need them sorted." A man's voice said from inside the principal's office.

Scott, Stiles, and I peered inside the doorway and I saw the two's eyes widen, "And whatever happened to the library while I was gone, I want it cleared up and what. The hell. Is this?" The man asked holding up Gerard's sword.

Stiles placed his hands on my lower back, "Go, go, go." He said pushing me away from the office.

"Who was that?" I hissed once we had slowed down to a normal pace and Stiles had stopped pushing me.

"That's the old principal before Gerard." Scott said in a hushed tone.

I gave the boys a confused look, "Didn't he quit?" I asked.

Stiles sighed, "We thought he was dead at first." He answered.

I sighed, "Alright, I'm gonna go meet Allison and Lydia, see you guys in English." I said before walking over to said girls at Allison's locker.

"Freshmen. Tons and tons of fresh. Men." Lydia was saying as I walked up.

"You mean fresh boys. Lydia, they're fourteen." Allison said laughing.

I smirked as I observed the freshmen "Must be early bloomers then." I remarked.

"Some are more mature than others." Lydia said obviously not caring about their age.

Allison gave us both disbelieving looks, "You know it's okay to be single. Focus on yourself for a little while; work on becoming a better person." She said.

Lydia laughed, "Allison, I love you. So if you need to do that thing where we talk about me and pretend we're not actually talking about you, it's totally fine. But I don't want a boyfriend…I want a distraction." She told the dark haired girl.

I would offer to do the same but I don't think that we have quite the same situation." I said making Allison laugh.

"Lydia are you looking at more fresh…men…" I trailed off when I saw where her gaze had landed.

Twins. I grinned, "Brothers?" Allison asked.

"Twins." Lydia replied with a grin.

"Wow." I said leaning back against the lockers.

"You can say that again." Lydia agreed.

As they walked past us Lydia and I both leaned forward slightly, "Definitely identical." We chorused.

Allison laughed, shaking her head, "You two are shameless." She said.

The three of us walked into English class. Lydia took the seat besides Stiles and I took the one in front of him. I watched as Allison moved towards the seat in front of Lydia only to be cut off by a guy. I sent her an apologetic look when I saw the only seat was the one in front of Scott. "Do you know who the new English teacher is?" I asked Stiles.

"Ms. Blake." Stiles was about to say something else but was cut off by the sound of everyone's phones going off at once.

I quickly reached into my bag and pulled mine out, expecting a text from Isaac but saw it was a message from an unknown number. "The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast sky seemed to lead into the heart of immense darkness." The teacher read off from her phone, "This is the last line to the first book we are going to read. It is also the last text you will receive in this class. Phones off, everyone."

I put my phone back into my bag with a confused expression still on my face, "What's wrong?" Stiles asked me in a hushed tone.

"Isaac hasn't texted me since yesterday morning." I replied, now starting to worry.

Stiles' eyes furrowed, "Is that unusual?" He asked.

I opened my mouth to reply but was cut off by Ms. Blake, "Mr. Stilinski, Miss Fairchild, something you would like to share?" She asked with a smile.

"No, ma'am." I replied facing the front of the classroom.

"Then perhaps Mr. Stilinski could tell us what book the quote was from." Ms. Blake suggested.

"Ah, uh, I um, I don't know." Stiles replied after a moment of silence.

"Miss Fairchild?" The teacher said turning her gaze onto me.

I inhaled through my nose before beginning, "It was from the Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad first published in February 1899 in Blackwood's magazine as a 3 part serial story. In 1998 the Modern Library ranked Heart of Darkness as the sixty-seventh of the hundred best novels in English of the twentieth century." I rattled off folding my hands on my desk.

Ms. Blake raised an eyebrow, "You've read it?" She asked surprised.

"Five times." I replied after counting in my head, "I also did a report on it freshman year."

Ms. Blake smiled, "Good. Now everyone please take out your notes." She said drawing everyone's attention from me.

Stiles lent forward when she had turned her back so his lips were at my ear, "How did you remember that?" He whispered.

I smiled softly, "Chris thinks I have an eidetic memory." I whispered back before starting on the notes.

I looked up from my notes when I saw Allison pass Scott a note from the corner of my eye. I shook my head and Allison looked at me with a confused expression, 'What happened to "it's okay to be single"?' I mouthed to her. The principal walked in and said something to Ms. Blake before leaving again. I returned my focus to my notes as I waited for the name of one of the kids in the back of the class to be called out, "Mr. McCall?" Ms. Blake called out.

My head shot up and I looked over at Scott with a worried expression, what the hell was going on? Scott looked at her with a a deer caught in headlights expression. Ms. Blake motioned with her finger and Scott quickly packed up his stuff and followed her out. Allison and I exchanged confused looks, why was Scott being called out of class? Ms. Blake came back in without Scott and I immediately began copying down notes again. Isaac not texting me, Scott leaving school, none of it made sense. "What is that? Is that from the accident?" I heard Stiles ask Lydia.

I turned my head and noticed a bandage around Lydia's ankle. "No, Prada bit me." The red-head answered quietly.

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Sure, Prada was a little rat dog purse accessory that was way too spoiled in my opinion, but he had never been vicious. "Your dog?" Stiles asked in disbelief.

The strawberry blonde turned to look at him, "No my designer handbag." Lydia replied innocently, "Yes my dog." She finished with an eye roll.

"Well, has it ever bit you before?" Stiles questioned her.

Lydia's answer was a small negative shake of the head and a mumbled, 'no'. "Okay, what if it's the same thing as the deer. You know how animals start acting weird before an earthquake or something?" Stiles said leaning towards her in his seat.

I turned slightly so I could shoot him a glare, "What? Now you believe my theory?" I whispered to him.

"Meaning what?" Lydia asked us, "There's gonna be an earthquake?"

"Or something." Stiles looked at me, "I just…maybe it means something's coming…something bad." He said leaning back in his seat.

"It was a deer and a dog. What's that thing you say about threes, Poppy? Once, twice-" Lydia cut herself off when a bird slammed into the window, leaving a smear of blood as it fell to the ground.

My eyes widened and I looked at Stiles to see him staring out the window. I looked back as Ms. Blake walked over to the window. My mouth dropped open slightly when I saw a flock of birds…heading straight for the windows. Another one hit the window, this time cracking it. "The glass won't hold." I whispered right before one of the birds busted through.

More birds followed it, "Get down everyone!" Ms. Blake shouted as my classmates went into panic.

Stiles jerked me to the ground as a shard of glass from another window shattering cut my upper arm. Stiles pushed Lydia's desk away and pulled her to the ground next to me. I grabbed her and pulled her to me as Stiles covered my body with his. "GET DOWN!" Ms. Blake screamed.

I pressed my face into Stiles' chest as more and more students cried out in pain. I gripped Stiles' t-shirt underneath his flannel and pulled him closer as a bird swooped towards him. I could feel Lydia shaking against me as the caws and cries calmed down. As quickly as it had started it was over and Stiles slowly pulled me up into a standing position. There were dead birds and injured students everywhere. I kept my grip on Stiles' t-shirt as I made eye contact with Allison over Lydia's head, what the hell had just happened? I looked up at Stiles as Lydia shakily walked over to Allison, "Now do you believe in threes?" I asked shakily.

Stiles peered down at me with worried brown eyes and I tightened my grip on his shirt. I had this terrible feeling that Stiles was right and something bad was coming, something terrible.

"Are you okay?" Stiles asked me with a concerned expression.

I ran a hand through my hair and breathed out through my nose in a calming technique, "Yeah, yeah I'm fine." I said before catching a glimpse of Stiles' hairline, "Stiles you're bleeding." I hissed reaching up to push his hair out of the way.

Stiles sighed as I examined him, "Poppy, I'm fine don't change the subject." He said removing my hands.

I crossed my arms, "I said I was fine, there subject done and closed, next one please." I said grinning sarcastically.

Stiles gave me a look and I sighed, letting my arms fall to my sides before taking a step closer to him, "Make fun all you want but this whole threes thing can't just be a coincidence. Deer just don't run down the middle of the road, Prada doesn't bite people –especially not Lydia-, and an entire flock of birds doesn't just ram itself into a classroom window in some weird bird group suicide!" I said lowly.

"Poppy." Sheriff Stilinski's voice came from behind me.

I quickly took a step back from his son, crossing my arms as I turned to face him, "Hey." I greeted with a small smile.

"Did you get cut?" The sheriff asked pointing to my arm.

I looked down and saw a trail of dried blood going down my upper arm but no cut, crap, "Oh um…no I-"

"It came from my head." Stiles said covering for me, "When birds started coming through a piece of glass got me and when Poppy grabbed for me some must've gotten on her."

"Yeah, must've." I agreed, nodding.

"Uh huh. You two have a good rest of the day. Keep Stiles out of trouble." Sheriff Stilinski said before walking away from us.

"I need to call Scott." Stiles said in a hushed tone, eyes wide.

"Did he say why we needed to meet him a Derek's in the middle of the school day?" I asked Stiles as we climbed into the Jeep.

"Nope." He replied before peeling out of the parking lot.

"So it could be something totally ridiculous?" I asked pushing my bag down by my feet.

Stiles smirked at me, "What?" I asked with a confused expression.

"You don't want to skip." He said with an amused grin.

I rolled my eyes, "Shut up." I said crossing my arms.

"The badass half-werewolf half-hunter doesn't want to skip." Stiles continued in his amused tone.

I huffed and looked out the window, "Oh, c'mon don't be like that. It's cute." Stiles said as we pulled up to Derek's house.

I smirked at him and got out of the Jeep, "What?" He asked following me up to the house.

"It's just with all the little comments you've been making lately I was just wondering when you were finally going to take Scott's advice." I remarked, referring to the conversation I had overheard at the beginning of summer before entering the house.

I could practically hear Stiles' jaw drop as I walked into what used to be the Hales' living room. My smile wiped off my face when I saw Isaac lying on a table in just a hospital gown. "Is he okay?" I asked worriedly, rushing over to the table as Stiles stumbled into the room mumbling about eaves droppers.

"He was taken to the hospital this morning." Scott said from where he was sitting with Derek.

My eyes widened, "What? Why? He's a werewolf! Aren't you supposed to be looking out for him?" I snapped at Derek as I brushed back Isaac's hair from his forehead.

Derek glared at me, "I do the best I can, alright?" He snapped back at me.

I gritted my teeth, "Then how did he end up in a hospital? If they had figured out what he is-"

"They didn't." Derek snapped cutting me off.

Scott looked back and forth between us warily, "So can you help me?" he asked Derek as Stiles walked over to them.

Derek nodded and leaned closer to Scott's bicep. His eyes changed to red as he stared at it, concentrating. I hopped on top of Isaac's table and threaded my fingers through his motionless ones. "Yeah, I see it." Derek told Scott as his eyes went back to normal, "Two bands, right? What does it mean?"

Scott sighed, "I don't know, uh. It's just something I trace with my fingers." He said tracing the two bands in the dust on the furniture.

"Why is this so important to you?" Derek questioned the beta.

There was a pause as Scott thought it over, "Do you know what the word tattoo means?" He asked the Alpha.

"To mark something." Stiles jumped in with a small smirk.

"Well that's in Tahitian…in Samoan it means open wound. I knew I wanted to get a tattoo when I turned 18, I always wanted one…I just decided to get it now as kind of a reward." Scott confessed causing my expression to soften.

"For what?" Derek asked curiously.

There was a pause and the look on Scott's face made it seem as though what he was about to confess was painful for him, "For not calling or texting Allison all summer…even when I really wanted to, even when it was so hard not to sometimes. I was just trying to give her the space she wants." Scott sighed, "Even though four months later, it still hurts. It still feels like a um…"

"Like an open wound." I finished gazing at the werewolf with sympathy and understanding.

I felt Stiles eyes shoot up to look at me but didn't meet his gaze. "Yeah." Scott agreed.

Derek nodded and grabbed a blow torch from behind him, "The pain is gonna be worse than anything you've ever felt." The Alpha informed him.

"Oh…that's great." Stiles said sarcastically.

"Do it." Scott said to Derek with determination.

Derek lit the blow torch and I swallowed thickly, "Oh wow, that's a lot for me. I'm gonna take that as my cue. I'm just gonna go wait by Poppy." Stiles said trying to walk away only to be stopped by Derek.

"No. I'm gonna need help holding him down." He said sternly.

Stiles walked around to stand behind Scott and braced his hands on the werewolf's shoulders. Scott nodded to Derek and I turned my head just before the flame touched Scott's skin. Scott cried out in pain making me wince as I looked at Isaac's unconscious body. "Hold him!" Derek said to Stiles as Scott continued to scream.

I slipped my hand from Isaac's and covered my ears as I pushed my head into Isaac's chest. I bit my lip as I squeezed my eyes shut. Scott's just getting a tattoo, nothing bad is happening to him. I tried to reassure myself as I warded off terrifying memories. "Poppy? Poppy!" Stiles yelled placing a hand on my back.

I shot up, eyes wide, noticing that Scott was no longer screaming but had passed out. "It's over." Stiles said cautiously.

I swallowed and nodded as I slowly lowered my hands from my ears. "Sorry I just-"

"Don't worry about it." Stiles interrupted.

Over the past 4 months I had opened up to Stiles about the situation with my dad, leaving out some of the gory details of course. I nodded again and gave him small, close-lipped smile. Scott shot up and my gaze fell to the two black bands around his bicep. "It worked." He stated happily.

Scott put his shirt back on and thanked Derek. "Well it looks pretty damn permanent to me." Stiles remarked as the two turned to leave.

"Are you coming?" He asked turning to look at me.

I grasped Isaac's hand, "Ah, no if it's alright I think I'll just stay here." I said pushing a piece of hair behind my ear.

Stiles nodded and something flashed in his eyes that I couldn't quite read. "Yeah, okay. Text me if you need a ride." He said before walking to the door with Scott.

Scott opened the door but paused as he looked at the front side of it. "You painted the door." Scott remarked to Derek who had come to stand next to mine and Isaac's perch. "Why'd you paint the door?"

"Go home, Scott." Derek told the beta only confusing me more.

"And why only one side?" Scott asked before extending his claws.

"Scott!" Derek said in a warning tone.

It was no use as the beta began scratching off the paint furiously. When Scott stopped Stiles pushed the door back further so that I could see the strange symbol. "The birds at school and the deer last night, just like when I got bit by the Alpha. How many are there?" Scott asked glaring at Derek.

The Alpha sighed, "A pack of them."

I inhaled sharply from shock. "All of them? How does that even work?" Stiles asked, confused.

"I hear there's some kind of leader…he's called Deucalion. We know they have Boyd and Erica. Peter, Isaac, and I have been looking for them for the last 4 months." Derek explained.

I bit my lip, Isaac was lying to me. "Say you find them, how do you deal with an Alpha pack?" Scott asked him.

"With all the help I can get." Derek said, his face holding a silent question.

Isaac sat up suddenly and I turned to him, eyes wide as his hospital gown fell off of his shoulders. "Where is she? Where's the girl?" He asked us.

"What girl?" Derek asked.

AN: So yeah I'm gonna end it there!

As I believe-with my logic- that Chaos Rising and Tattoo are during the same day as in when Tattoo ends it goes straight into Chaos Rising still in the same night, I will be picking up with one of the ending scenes of Tattoo at the beginning of the last chapter.

Anyway so I know I was supposed to update like forever ago but didn't because I got really really really busy with my friends because it is summer and my friend's pool is finally warm enough for all of us to go swimming in it. I do plan on making more regular updates!

-ConflictingLoyalties563;D