I am the absolute worst at updating due to my life getting a bit chaotic but I plan to make up for it, at least a little bit, by finishing up this story line as quickly as possible. The next set of chapters are being published within the week after that I cannot make any promises but I will try to work through my writer's block as quickly as possible. To kick it all off, here is the start of the end of the hit list mystery with "Dustland Fairytale" by The Killers. Since it has been awhile, I do not own any of the material referenced within especially the songs or Teen Wolf.

Chapter 34: "Dustland Fairytale"

"Saw Cinderella in a party dress

But she was looking for a nightgown

I saw the devil wrapping up his hands

He's getting ready for the showdown

I saw the ending when they turned the page

I threw my money and I ran away

Straight to the valley of the great divide"

Sitting in the Sheriff's office, Deputy Parrish frowned as he tried to wrap his head around exactly who and what he had become. As an officer of the law, he was against vigilantism and that is exactly what this creature, this thing that had invaded his body and hijacked his brain, did. Ignoring the new part of him that seemed to enjoy and thirst for this new role, Parrish tried to recall exactly what the druid had said about the hellhound. Focusing on the memory, Parrish returned to the small apothecary shop and the words that the druid had said flooded back to him in a rush. "So, I'm the cop of supernaturals?" Parrish remembered asking, for the third time that hour, and the druid had chuckled in response. "More like an old Western sheriff, you are law enforcer, judge, and jury."

That answer had not sat well with Parrish then and it didn't now as he felt useless and unable to help the others as they tried to solve the mystery of who was behind the hit list. More were dying and he couldn't do anything to help as a cop or as a hellhound. Hell, he didn't even know what a hellhound could do save for his escape from fire and apparently being a vigilante. "This sucks." He groaned aloud earning a raised eyebrow from the Sheriff and a slight frown. "I didn't know that my presence bored you so." Stilinski retorted as he put down his papers and eyed the young deputy carefully. Regardless of his new status as abnormal, the kid was taking it relatively well. Call it a cop's intuition or a gut feeling but if Stilinski had a guess it was that Parrish was feeling as useless as he was when it came to locking whoever was behind the hit list behind bars. The Sheriff himself was worried about his son, who was such a painfully breakable human, running around with creatures that could snap him without breaking a sweat. Quite frankly, he was scared too. Where did lawmen like him with tasers and guns belong in such a world?

Before he could respond to Stilinski, the two police officers were interrupted by an angry looking deputy as she dragged in Stiles and Lydia. "What did they do this time?" The Sheriff sighed as he gave his son a look that made him look rather sheepish as he grimaced and scuffed his sneakers against the tile floor. "Give us a few minutes Deputy Bennett." The Sheriff ordered as he looked out his office window to the main floor and watched as Allison entered the building with her arms crossed followed by two deputies who had an Eichen house guard and patient in cuffs being led to the cells. Allison watched the proceedings carefully before slipping into the office as Rose Bennett headed out.

"Stiles explain yourself now." Stilinski growled as Parrish moved towards the door before his boss shook his head. "You can stay, might as well hear since you're one of the few that know." Parrish nodded and returned to his seat while Stiles and Lydia shuffled their feet and Allison gave the others an exasperated look before rolling her eyes. "These two," She began as she gestured at Stiles and Lydia, "decided to go snooping around Eichen House on their own and got caught by a guard." Stiles had the decency to grimace as Lydia looked over at him and sighed before explaining, "We had information about the hit list, and we traced it back to Eichen House." Stilinski didn't much care at this point what had gotten them there as much as he was interested in the two people that had to be arrested, "And how does that apply to the two people that are now in my cells?"

"Turns out the guard had access to the hit list and wanted in on the money, so he tried to take out Lydia here who screamed loud enough for me to hear and get there before these two were shot and killed." The older girl explained as she looked at her two friends and sighed before continuing, "Next time please ask for backup." As little as he understood about how these supernaturals worked, Allison had a valid point in Stilinski's mind as Allison had martial arts and weapons training while Stiles occasionally carried a baseball bat that he could barely swing with any force. "After tying the guard up, the Eichen house patient waltzes in and claims to be the Benefactor herself." With that the girl huffed out a laugh, "Trust me she's lying but I thought there was no harm in calling the cops on the both of them."

Parrish frowned a bit at that, even as a newly discovered supernatural, he still disagreed that they should have such a large role in carrying out justice. At least Allison was not making any decisions herself and leaving it up to the law enforcement and a court to decide, but not all supernaturals took her approach. They might be just in their cause now, but he could see how terrifying it would be for ordinary people if they ever decided wrong. Granted, what jail cell would hold a supernatural? Human laws could barely keep human society in check and would do little for creatures that had abilities that went beyond human. Shaking his head, he decided it was a philosophical debate for another day.

"I have been shot at, had to tackle and knock out the guy that shot at me, and save 2 damsels in distress tonight; after all that I am going home to relax." With a wink at Parrish and a smile at Stilinski, Allison exited the office leaving Lydia and Stiles to explain the particulars of their ordeal. She stopped at Rose's desk to make sure she was good to leave before heading out the door. Pausing at the edge of the parking lot, she grinned as her car made an appearance. "Took you long enough." She teased as she slipped in the passenger seat and smirked as her boyfriend's big blue eyes widened and he opened his mouth to launch into his defense. "It was a long run home!" He exclaimed as she laughed quietly, and he began to drive them in the direction of her apartment.

"You could have tagged along." She managed finally with her chocolate brown eyes shining with mirth as he shook his head. "I was once accused of murdering my father there and half the deputies still consider me a threat despite Sheriff Stilinski defending me and proving that it was an 'animal' attack." Her smile faded as he spoke, although Isaac might have been a year younger then as well as a slightly smaller and leaner human it was a scar that he would carry no matter how much time or how much he changed. No matter how bad his dad had beaten and verbally abused him he would never have stooped that low but being accused of it did seem to make him angrier for a long time. Who could blame him? Allison didn't, and couldn't, hold that against him, she had similarly been as angry and inconsolable when she felt she had been betrayed and had lashed out in her own way.

There was no reply that would make that pain better and, unlike Scott, Allison knew better than to try so she reached out a small hand and squeezed his knee. Isaac did not need someone to fix him or his problems, what he really needed was for someone to just be there for him. So that is what Allison did, as he had done countless times for her, she gave him a smile and took his hand when he offered it. With that their ride continued in comfortable silence and the pair arrived at the apartment in no time.

As they walked inside, Allison was greeted by her father holding a police radio and a frown. "I can explain." Allison quickly leapt in to defend herself as Isaac looked on quietly. From Chris Argents' expression, Isaac could tell that he was far from disappointed in her and asked, "Something else happened, didn't it?" The older man nodded as he turned up the radio so that they could hear the chatter. Listening quietly, the color drained from her face as the conflicting reports came in from a variety of officers at different locations. "I already called Sheriff Stilinski," Chris began before he was interrupted by Allison letting out a painful moan. "I knew it wasn't her!" She wailed as her father and Isaac both stepped forward to comfort her, but she stepped backwards and wrapped her arms around herself instead. "By bringing her in I sentenced her to death!"

"There's no way you could have known that Meredith would be killed in the station." Isaac pointed out as he walked toward her and carefully wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. No matter how much death they had experienced recently, it had yet to be caused by something they could have directly prevented. Chris, although still caring, did not coddle Allison as much as Isaac did. They were both still too young to understand that this job involved death and some of the victims were killed as a direct result of good intentions. "There's nothing you could have done differently. She should have been safe in a cell. It goes to show that she did know something, and someone didn't want her to talk." Her eyes glowed yellow momentarily as she looked up at her father's voice before they went back to brown and she nodded. No matter how upset she was at the news of the death of the banshee from Eichen House, she was a strong one and knew how to compartmentalize and get the job done. Even in the end, although she might blame herself, she was not one to cry over it and do nothing to fix it.

Giving her a final squeeze, Isaac stepped away as he felt her straighten up and nod at him that she would be alright. "What was the rest of the chatter?" Her voice was still a bit shaky but gaining strength as she set her focus on preventing any other senseless deaths. Nodding in approval, Chris Argent had to stop himself from smiling with pride at how well his daughter was handling her leadership role. "In addition to Meredith's death, the police are dealing with Berserkers attacking the school, and Kate has been reported lurking around Scott's neighborhood. Braeden also called, Derek is missing and Peter is also nowhere to be found."