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Lacy here with our last Effie chapter for 5A. Before anyone asks, yes, 5B will be its own story, much like 3A and B. But more on that at the end. Now we've got some serious drama, a confrontation with Theo, that was too much fun to write, and hoping to save the Sheriff in time. Read on.
Disclaimer: I own only Effie.
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Effie watched the tow truck chain up the jeep and prepare to lift it. Her phone was pressed against her ear, tears shining in her eyes.
"Ef?"
"Please tell me you're at the airport, getting ready to come back to Beacon Hills." she pleaded.
"Actually, Cora and I drove into Mexico and she just dropped me off." Derek confirmed. "My flight's in half an hour." Effie's sob of relief had him worried. "Ef, talk to me."
Effie shook her head, moving away from where Stiles was calling Malia for a ride. "Scott found out. I don't know how, but I'm willing to bet Theo told him. And he didn't tell him all of the truth. Scott doesn't trust Stiles any more. Kicked him out of the pack, even if he didn't say it."
"How do you know?" Derek asked.
"My pack bond severed." Effie said. "And I've long since figured out, as long as Stiles calls someone pack, so do I. Scott's not our pack any more."
"Five hours." Derek said. "Five hours, I'll be back in California and then it's just a couple more til I'm back in Beacon Hills."
"Make it faster?" Effie asked. Pleaded.
"I'll do my best."
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"Are you gonna tell him about Donovan?"
Both Effie and Stiles stopped half way out of Malia's car, shocked by the coyote's words.
"You knew?" Stiles asked.
"I guessed." Malia said. "I saw the bite on your shoulder when you were sleeping." the two girls watched Stiles reach up to rub the mark. "It didn't matter to me. That's why I never said anything."
"It matters to me." Stiles said.
Effie sat back, waiting for Stiles to say something else, but he just got out of the car without another word. Swallowing and taking a deep breath, Effie reached forward and touched Malia's arm.
"Thank you." the fox whispered.
"I care about him." Malia said. "About both of you."
Effie smiled. "I know." Giving Malia's arm a squeeze, Effie got out of the car and followed her brother into the station.
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Sitting in their father's office, the twins waited. Effie reached along her pack bonds to check on each of her friends. Malia was conflicted, but otherwise fine. Melissa was worried and scared, as was Liam. Lydia was hard to figure out, but that's how it usually was with the banshee. Even Parrish, who Effie didn't even realize she considered pack, was safe. For the moment.
"Derek's on a plane." Effie finally spoke.
Stiles exhaled. "You know, that's the first time I've ever been thankful to hear Sourwolf is coming back."
Effie laughed. "You two have come a long way since Derek came back to town, looking for Laura."
"We all have." Stiles pointed out. "You most of all, I think."
Effie frowned. "What makes you say that?"
Stiles smiled. "Look at you, Ef. Before Derek came home, you were always either in your room or in the art room. Sure, you came out for lacrosse games and your track meets, but you never enjoyed it. You stopped enjoying a lot of things after we lost Mom and the majority of the Hales died."
"They were pack." Effie shrugged. "Even if I didn't know what that meant, so many bonds severing at once, I had to shut off or it would have overwhelmed me."
"Even with all we've lost since Derek came back," Stiles went on. "you haven't shut it off."
Effie shook her head. "I can't run away, again. Not even mentally. You and Dad need me. I won't leave you alone again."
Before Effie could respond, the fire alarm suddenly started blaring, forcing the fox to cover her ears in pain. The twins rushed to the door, pulling it open to see what was happening. But the deputies were just as confused as they were.
Stiles pulled Effie back into the office, hoping to block some of the noise from her sensitive ears. But they were only in there for minutes before they saw the deputies pulling their weapons and Parrish walking towards them, steam rising from his body.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Stiles tore from the office, holding up his hands. "Don't shoot! Stay back! Stay out of his way!"
Effie came out as Parrish left the station. "We have to follow him."
Stiles nodded and the two took off after the mysterious deputy.
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"Impound Dad, really?" Effie couldn't believe that was where John hid the last two chimera bodies. But that was where Parrish went, found them, and then drove away in the police van carrying them. Stiles was on the phone, trying to get someone to come get them so they could follow the deputy.
Effie turned sharply as a pickup pulled into the yard and Theo got out.
"Sorry, I got here as fast as I could."
"We gotta go. Now." Stiles said. "Parrish has got the bodies."
"Okay, wait up, Stiles. Wait!"
"Parrish is out and he's got the bodies. We gotta find Scott and we gotta tell him."
"Stiles!" Theo shouted. Even Effie stopped in her tracks, staring at the werewolf. "I don't think Scott wants to talk to you right now."
"Yeah, thanks, I'm aware of that." Stiles said. "Doesn't matter. He needs to know about this."
"Stiles." Theo sounded like he was laughing. "Scott doesn't want to talk to you." he reached into his pocket and pulled out Stiles's library card. "But I think your dad does."
Effie stepped forward. "Where did you get that?"
Theo actually smirked. "Your dad was looking for you, Stiles. He found me instead."
"Where is he?" Stiles asked.
"I covered for you." Theo claimed. "This was taken care of."
"You shouldn't have that." Effie threw back. "Stiles never got rid of it."
"I guess even the son of a cop can make mistakes." Theo taunted.
"Did you hurt him?" Stiles demanded.
Theo finally stopped walking and faced the twins. "I never lied about why I came to Beacon Hills. I'm here for a pack. I came for the werecoyote. The one whose first instinct is to kill. I came for the banshee. The girl surrounded by death. I came for the dark kitsune. The beta with anger issues. I came for Void Stiles. That's the pack I want. And fortunately, it doesn't include Scott. Or the druidfox." he smirked at Effie. "Rare as you are, there's no tainting you."
Effie bared her fangs. "Try and bring the Void back to my brother and trust me, you'll see taint." She could feel the supermoon pulling at her fox, taking its rage and territorial need to protect her brother.
"Your heart beat's rising, Stiles." Theo ignored Effie. Not smart, as her eyes shifted. "It's not because you're afraid. The Nogitsune is gone. But you still got more blood on your hands then any of us."
"I'm about to get more." Stiles promised. "And I'm not alone." Effie's claws were out, eyes flashing lilac.
Theo walked to his truck, putting the ID on it. "I'll tell you where your dad is, if you promise not to help Scott." Stiles took the first swing, but it just made Theo laugh. "There is he! That's Void Stiles. It felt good, didn't it?" Stiles took another swing, knocking Theo to the ground. Effie jumped up and brought a charged fist down on the wolf's stomach. It was harder and stronger than any she'd ever dealt. She backed up to her brother's side as Theo fought to catch his breath and spit the blood from his mouth. "We won't tell Scott, cause you can't lose your best friend, right? Even though we both know you never needed him." Stiles pinned Theo to the ground while Effie stood tall behind him as back up. "You hate me now, but you'll get it eventually. This is the hard part, because you can't help Scott and save your dad's life. You still got time, Stiles. You still got time."
"Back up, Stiles." Effie growled. The elder twin did as he was told and Effie dropped to her knee, claws tight around Theo's neck. Fire glowed around her claws, searing the skin under them. "Where. Is. Our. Father."
Theo grinned. "Where did the first chimera show up?"
Answer in hand, Effie slammed Theo's head into the ground, hard enough to knock him out, but not to kill him. Then she and Stiles jumped into Theo's truck and took off. They had to find their father.
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"DAD!" the twins ran into the ruined house that Parrish had found the first chimera in. That Theo had 'found' Liam and Hayden in. "Dad!" Finding the huge opening in the wall, they saw John lying on the ground, hand in the air, covered in blood. "DAD!"
They fell to their knees on either side of their father, grabbing his hands. Effie started pulling his pain the moment she touched him, tears filling and falling from her eyes.
"Hold on Dad," Stiles said as Effie pulled her phone. "just hold on."
Effie sobbed. "This is Effie Stilinski. The sheriff is down. He needs immediate medical attention. Send an ambulance to," she shook her head and rattled off the address. "Please, hurry." she tossed her phone aside. "Dad, don't leave us. Please."
The twins cried as they held tight to their father and once again, waited. Waited for help, waited for their father to stop breathing. Waited for the nightmare to either end or destroy them as it got worse.
All they could do was wait.
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And there we have it. The end of 5A that made me want to write a side fic where Effie slowly pulls all of Theo's joints apart. All of them. But I didn't, because I knew what was going to happen to him. For those who've been waiting, Derek is back next week, in the very first chapter of New Threat, New Pack, New Start. For now, let me know what you think, flame policy stands, thanks so much for reading and I'll see you in the next story.
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