Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

Chapter 2: Episode 4x2

"Alright, let's get him inside."

After having dropped Kira and Malia off at their homes, Scott had joined Nixie, Lydia, and Stiles in the jeep. And the animal clinic was the only safe place to take Derek right now, and Deaton was the only one they could trust to possibly look at him from a doctor's perspective.

Well, a doctor's perspective with plenty of knowledge about the supernatural.

As Stiles opens the door and helps Lydia out first, Scott takes his place at the door so he can help Nixie with Derek.

She still has Derek's head in her lap. And while no one, including Derek, has any idea what is going on… Derek still looks peaceful with Nixie's fingers running through his hair gently. And judging from Nixie's ever watchful gaze, Scott would bet that her eyes hadn't left him since they'd started the trip back from Mexico.

Coming in further, putting a gentle hand on her exceptionally cold shoulder, Scott says, "Hey. We're gonna fix this. We'll help him." Nixie nods, but then asks, "What if we can't though? I mean… I know we're going to help him and keep him safe. But… look at him. He looks our age now. Maybe even younger. How the hell are we going to age him back?"

Scott tilts his head at her and then asks, "Are you telling me you're giving up?" Nixie snaps her eyes to him and says, "Of course not. What kind of stupid question is that? But…" Sighing, running one hand through her own hair, she says, "I've been wracking my brain all the way back. And for the life of me, I can't even begin to imagine how Kate did this to him… much less how we're going to reverse it. I mean… I know we're going to try. We always try. But what if he's stuck like this? What if…"

Scott moves in closer and says, "Then we help him adjust to the new life he's going to have to live. We show him that we're his friends. We show him that you are his friend." Grinning a little, Scott adds, "Whether he likes it or not. Because you can't be gotten rid of that easily. Just because he's younger, it doesn't mean he's any less ours."

Nixie finally smiles and says, "Damn. And I thought I was the one who was supposed to know what to say." Scott shrugs and says, "I'd say this is your one and only slip in seventeen years. It was bound to happen eventually. And I am the alpha. Bout time I got to cheer you up for a change."

She laughs finally, and then helps him ease Derek out of the jeep.

Deaton has cleared off one of the tables in preparation for their arrival, and they all work to lower Derek gently onto it. Nixie goes back to cradling his head while Deaton just stares down at the younger version of Derek. And then, all he can think of to say is, "Wow."

Stiles looks up at him and asks, "Wow? Wow as in, 'I've seen this before and I know exactly what to do' kind of wow? Cause that's the kind of 'wow' we were hoping for." Deaton gives him a look and says, "I think you might be overestimating my abilities." Then he turns to Nixie when she says, "Hoping for. Not expecting Doc. Just hoping for." Deaton nods in understanding, and then tries to go about checking on Derek.

Lydia takes one of his hands in hers, and then comments, "He's cold. Really cold." Nixie immediately drops her hands and says, "That might be my fault. I haven't stopped touching him since we found him." Deaton wonders briefly at why Nixie should think it was her fault, but when none of the others question it, he doesn't bring it up. He does make a note that, regardless of what else may begin happening soon, he would make time to look into some of the… side-effects that seemed to come from being around Nixie. And what effects happened to her, herself, given certain situations.

Scott watches as Nixie clenches her hands into fists at her sides. Then he looks up at Deaton and asks, "Do you think this is permanent? That's what Nixie's worried about the most." Deaton nods again in his understanding, but as he shines a light in Derek's eyes as he holds them open, he sighs and says, "And I wish I could offer you some kind of answer in that respect. But I'm not even sure a medical diagnosis will even be adequate. This… this is well beyond my experience."

Sighing, Nixie runs a hand through her hair and asks, "Great. So what do we do with him?" Deaton sighs and says, "Until he wakes up… probably not much. It'll probably be best to keep him here. Leave him with me. He'll be safe here." Stiles nods and says, "You mean from Kate." Deaton nods and says, "If she's alive, and she is what you say she is, she won't be able to walk past that gate."

Lydia nods, but as she helps wrap Derek back up in the blanket, she asks, "Why would she want to do this to him?" Deaton shrugs, "Knowing Kate, it's probably for a reason that won't be any good for anyone but her." Sighing, Nixie adds, "And by consequence, bad for everyone else."

Stiles nods in agreement, and then jumps and flinches as Derek moans on the table. Turning his head side to side, he starts mumbling under his breath, eyes darting back and forth behind his eyelids, as though lost in a nightmare. Lydia watches for a moment, and then looks up and says, "Nixie, hold him again."

Nixie gives her a look and says, "You said he was cold. I…" "Nixie, just do it." "But…" And then they all freeze when Derek mumbles louder, "Nix… Nix… where… where's…"

Clenching her hands one more time, Nixie then sighs and puts her hands back on the sides of his head. Running through his hair gently, she bends down and says softly, "I'm right here Derek. Hush now, it's okay. I have you."

He relaxes again, entire body calming at her touch. Scott then meets Nixie's gaze, and he sighs before saying, "Well… you're not leaving now." "Nope." He pulls up a chair from nearby and says, "Sit. Rest." She doesn't argue with that, and then the others step out of the room, leaving her with Derek.

Outside in the main office, Deaton immediately asks, "Did he recognize Nixie when you found him?" Stiles shakes his head and says, "No. In fact, I don't think he knows her full name is Nixie. Scott just called her Nix when he got her to hold Derek earlier, so that's what he knows she can be called. Beyond that though, he doesn't know her." Deaton raises an eyebrow and says, "He certainly seems to want her close though. Are you sure…"

Lydia nods and says, "He just wants her comfort. That's what Nixie does. She gives comfort to her friends. Literally, she pushes the stress away, somehow. She does it for all of us." Deaton nods, but adds, "But as you just stated, he doesn't know her. Derek doesn't know he's one of her friends, or pack mates. So why…" Stiles sighs and says, "Look, it's just Nixie…" But Deaton shakes his head and says, "Look, I understand that all of you who know her, accept this, and embrace it. But those who have just met her… it takes time to grow accustomed to it. So if Derek doesn't know her, then how…"

"It's her scent." They all look up at Scott, who motions for them to step further way from the office where Nixie is sitting. Sighing, he says, "She… Nixie doesn't just provide comfort. She doesn't just push away all your stress and anxiety with a hug. She… her scent, the natural aroma that's around her… it's comforting." Deaton asks, "And you are just mentioning this?" "It's not new! She's always been that way. From the first moment I became a wolf and my senses were heightened, she's smelled like that to me. And to every other supernatural that has met her." "Every one of them?"

Scott ponders that a moment, and then frowns and says, "Well… no, I guess not. Definitely not Peter. And certainly not Kate if they ever meet. Probably not the alpha pack either." Deaton nods and says thoughtfully, "So… to the people she's claimed as her own… she smells like comfort?"

Scott nods a little, but then sighs and says, "It's more than that though. It's… it's home. That's when it smells like. Safety, security… home. A warm and welcoming place to come and stay, in spite of how naturally cold she might be physically."

They all remain quiet for a moment, pondering that. Then Deaton looks around at all of them and says, "Look, you guys should go home. Derek doesn't look to be in any danger, and with Nixie staying, I'm sure we can all agree, he's in good hands. The rest of you should get some sleep while you can. It is, after all, a school night. And you do need to take care of your own lives again."

Scott doesn't deny that, but says, "Someone else should stay though. Give Nixie a break when she needs it." Lydia nods and says, "I'll stay. My grades are fine and will stay that way, even with the starting new semester. Mrs. Wallace will understand if I miss my first day. I'll make sure Nixie gets to school though. She's missed more than I have and she should probably save those instances for emergencies."

Stiles chuckles and says, "She always thinks it's an emergency when it comes to us." "Exactly." Stiles gives her a look and says, "Even with Nixie here, I'm not okay with this. You…" Lydia gives him a look and says, "Guys… go. We'll be fine. Nixie is here." "Yeah, but I…" But Scott nods and says, "Text us if anything changes." "If Nixie doesn't text you first, I will get right on it."

Grinning, Scott then tugs an arguing Stiles back out the door with him. As Lydia moves to head back into the backroom, she pauses when Deaton asks, "Lydia… did Scott ever mention Nixie's scent to anyone else?" Lydia shakes her head, but says, "I'm not surprised though. Nixie's habit for making us all feel safe and secure has… well, it's always something that we've all been able to feel. It's in the looks she gives us, the way she tries so hard to protect us and be there for us. She doesn't even have to be in the same room. We just… we feel it."

Shrugging, Lydia adds, "It's just… it's Nixie. It's just who she naturally is."

And as Lydia walks away, Deaton rubs his chin thoughtfully and says, "Who she naturally is… or what she naturally is."

In her Advanced Chemistry class, Nixie's leg won't stop bouncing from beneath her desk. Like Lydia, she didn't have a full load this year. And next year would be even lighter.

But hell would freeze over before Nixie left for college without her friends.

And like Lydia, her grades were impeccable. They were impeccable before she did extra credit work, and with that on top of it… they were practically stellar.

Which is why she finds it so annoying that she should need to be here, sitting in class, filling out a worksheet, when Derek is at the clinic and not awake yet. Lydia wasn't here. Granted, Lydia's grades were even more spectacular and her attendance record was far better than Nixie's… but she's still agitated with having to be here, nonetheless.

And, she concedes, it probably wasn't helping her mood that she'd gotten very little sleep last night. Part of that was Derek's fault. She'd spend about an hour or so away from him, leaning back in her chair, maybe about to doze off. Then he'd start mumbling and panicking again, until Nixie made her presence known to him again.

The other part was her own inability to actually fall asleep while he was like this. The few times she'd almost dozed off were from sheer exhaustion. She shoved that away each time he began to panic again.

Lydia tried to get her to rest some… but knew it was futile. Instead she just settled for making her some coffee in the morning before sending her to school. It wasn't the same as Stiles' coffee… but it would hopefully keep her awake during class.

Wasn't doing much for her headache though, which, Nixie admits, is probably coming on because she hasn't eaten anything since the previous morning. Fortunately, Lydia remained concerned only on Nixie's ability to stay awake during class. So Nixie didn't have to inform her about the migraine she was getting. They had enough problems.

There's still ten minutes left in class, ten minutes that Nixie didn't feel she should have to be in here. She was done, finished… she should be gone already. Back at the clinic, where she could keep an eye on Derek.

That's when her phone goes off, and as she pulls it out, she reads Lydia's text, "Get back here now! Derek's gone!" Sighing, Nixie mutters, "Shit." Then she begins packing up her stuff to leave. If Mrs. Blanchard wanted her to remain in class badly enough, she'd have to cuff Nixie to the desk.

But… to try and make it a little bit easier on herself, Nixie rises up from her desk and puts a hand on her stomach, making herself look like she's in pain. And as she walks towards the front of the room, Mrs. Blanchard gives her a concerned look.

Hooking her jacket over her bag at the moment, Nixie hands her worksheet into the tray on the desk, and then says, "Mrs. Blanchard, I'm not feeling well this morning. If it's alright, can I just head out now? I'm done with all my work, I promise. I think I should see a nurse, or go to the bathroom, or… something." For added affect, the grips her stomach again, and Mrs. Blanchard nods immediately and says, "Of course. Feel better sweetie."

Nodding, Nixie heads out the door and sighs. Her hair, which had gotten soaked in the rain last night, had been down since then. Lydia had insisted, or else Nixie would've ended up with a very bad bump in her hair, which Lydia wouldn't allow on her watch. But now, Nixie throws it up into a ponytail, some of the shorter strands still falling out to frame her face. Then slips her jacket on one arm, switching her bag over after that so she can pull her jacket onto the other arm as well.

When she reaches the steps outside and hurries down, she finds Scott and Stiles already there, heading out too. Stiles glances back at her, and then asks, "Out of curiosity, did Lydia call your professor too?" Nixie raises an eyebrow at the question and says, "Why on earth would Lydia call my professor?" "Ken kept telling us to turn our phones off! So Lydia called him to get the message to Scott!" Nixie rolls her eyes, and then says, "Yeah, well, no teacher in their right mind would ever tell me to turn my phone off." "Jordan Blake did." "Exactly."

Stiles finally laughs, and then asks, "Where's your bike?" "You drove me here this morning. Remember, Stiles?" "Oh, right. Sorry. I think I'm just getting worried." "Why?" "Well, you haven't driven it around much. Not for the whole summer." "I'm saving on gas money. Besides, I need my bike to be primed and ready for all instances in which I might need to come and find you people. Can't go wasting all her energy just to go to the grocery store. That's just stupid."

Scott grins and says, "Guys, come on. Lydia sounded urgent on the phone." "Right."

And when they reach the clinic, urgent doesn't even seem to cover it. Though Lydia is handling it well, she still looks a bit shaken as she tries to help Deaton bandage his bleeding forearm.

Nixie stares for a moment, and then drops her bag in a nearby chair and says, "Right. So, I'm gonna take over there. Deaton… please start explaining."

Lydia moves aside so Nixie can work while Deaton explains that, after waking up, Derek had taken off out of the clinic. Nodding his appreciation to Nixie's fine work, Deaton then adds, "I don't think he's just younger in body. I think he's younger in his mind too." Lydia nods and says, "Which would explain why, even after having a night to come back to his senses, he still doesn't recognize any of us." Deaton nods and adds again, "And he looked like he was terrified."

Stiles sighs and asks, "Okay. So if you're a teenage werewolf and you're scared… where do you go?" Sighing, Scott says, "A wolf goes back to its den. But Derek lives in a loft." Nixie ponders that a moment, and then adds, "But he's younger in his mind too. Right? So… this version of Derek doesn't know anything about the loft." Stiles nods and says, "Right. So… where would teenage Derek go?"

Lydia pipes in, "The Hale house?" Nixie points and says, "Yes. Home. That's where he'd go. Has to be." Deaton nods in agreement and says, "If he's younger in his mind, then he probably wouldn't remember the fire. It wouldn't have happened yet."

And at that, Nixie huffs and pinches the bridge of her nose. When she looks up and sees Scott's concerned gaze, Nixie says, "The Hale house was a dilapidating building already. It's been torn down since then. Condemned. And if Derek gets there and sees that… just imagine what's gonna start rolling through his already incredibly baffled mind."

Stiles and Scott look at each other over her head, and then nod and say, "We need to find him." But Lydia says, "Wait, hold on. Nixie's right. So let's say you find him and catch up with him. What if he's already seen it? Chances are he's already been there, at least. So what are you going to tell him? That his whole family is dead?"

Scott runs a hand through his hair and says, "I guess I'm gonna have to." Lydia gives him a look and says, "Okay, good luck with that. He's definitely not going to take it well." Stiles nods and says, "She's probably right. Maybe you shouldn't. You know… at least until we figure out how to get him back to normal."

Sighing, Scott looks to Nixie and asks, "What do you think?" She looks up at him, and then sighs and says, "I… don't think we should lie to him. Lying never helps. If anything, it just makes it worse." Then she looks to Lydia and adds, "But I think Lydia is right. His mind is in a tailspin as it is. Telling him that basically his entire family is dead… it won't end well."

Stiles then lifts his hand and says, "Here's a thought. I'll do it. I have no problem lying to him."

As expected, he was swiftly smacked upside the head. Nixie then says, "On a side note, besides how much I don't agree with that, Derek probably won't listen to you. You're human. He's a werewolf. The person who has the most hope of communicating with him, is Scott. We just… we have to find a middle ground. A way to make him wait for information on what happened to his family. We find that, and we won't have to lie, or tell him the truth just yet."

Scott and Stiles both nod, and then Stiles asks, "So what's the middle ground?" Nixie shrugs and says, "Hell if I know. But I'll work on that while we go find him. Because if he hasn't already seen the house, we need to try and prevent him from seeing it. And if he has already seen the house… well, then he's going to need us to find him that much more. So let's go."

Derek was sitting in the middle of what had once been his old home. Nothing made sense anymore. Nothing.

That's when the police cruiser came pulling up on the scene. Haigh's came out of the driver's seat, while Jordan stepped out on the passenger side. As of late, the Sheriff had made Haigh, Jordan's partner for going out in the field. And while Jordan wasn't exactly fond of the man, he was beginning to understand why. Haigh wasn't exactly a gentle sort of fellow. In fact, his more brutal instincts were downright annoying, and continuously getting on Jordan's nerves. But, that was a part of why he was Haigh's partner. Jordan was the superior of the two. He was the sheriff's deputy, the second in command at the station.

Therefore, basically, Jordan had a great amount of influence, and could get Haigh's fired if he didn't eventually listen to what Jordan said. He could rein Haigh in, so to speak. So while he didn't like it… he accepted it. For now, anyway.

As they walk past the gate around the property, Jordan calls out, "Excuse me, young man?" Haigh laughs and asks, "You're calling him, young man?" "Shut up, Haigh." Giving the man an annoyed look, Jordan then turns back to the young man and says, "Sorry, but you can't be here."

Then Haigh scoffs and says, "Hey dumbass. You ever hear of 'no trespassing'?" Derek turns his head slightly and says, "This is my house." Haigh rolls his eyes and says, "Nobody's been here for years, kid. Now get the hell out of here." Jordan snaps his eyes to the man and says, "Haigh…" Haigh looks over at Jordan, annoyance of his own apparent on his face. But Jordan stands his ground and says, "Maybe try a slightly gentler touch."

Bending down to Derek, looking at his face, Jordan can tell that the kid really does think it's his house. He looks so lost and confused. So hopeless. Coming closer, Jordan asks, "Are you alright? We can help you, if something's wrong." Derek looks around at the rubble around him and asks, "What happened to my house? Where's my family? Where's my mother?!" Jordan shakes his head and says, "I'm not sure. But if you let me take you down to the station, I'm sure we can figure this out. We have resources there that can help us look into these types of things? What do you say? Sound good?"

Derek turns to face him again, and is about to nod, when Haigh says, "Alright, enough of this. Dumbass, you're getting out of here. Now." But when he reaches down and grabs Derek by the arm, Derek turns on him immediately. He almost growls as he twists out of Haigh's hold and grabs his arm instead, squeezing hard with his supernatural grip and taking Haigh's down to one knee in the process.

Jordan jumps up and says, "Hey, hold on! Just take it easy." Derek turns back to him, calming himself slightly. This man was trying to help him, unlike the other one.

And then Jordan's eyes widen and he says, "Haigh, don't!" But Haigh already has his tazer out, and jams it into Derek's side, causing him to cry out in pain. Jordan jumps forward and says, "Haigh, stand down!" But Haigh hits Derek again, and then again. And he would've hit him a fourth time… except Jordan grabbed his wrist and twisted it painfully behind his back. "Owe! Parrish, what the…" "If you hit him again, you may actually kill him. And I will, I swear, write you up on charges of manslaughter."

Haigh pauses at that, and begrudgingly steps back when Jordan shoves him away. Glaring at the man, Jordan says, "Just wait in the damn truck." Haigh mumbles some unheard obscenities beneath his breath as he walks away. Then Jordan bends down to Derek, on the ground. Gently putting a hand on his shoulder, the other taking Derek's hand in his own, Jordan says, "I'm sorry about that. Haigh isn't big on patience."

Derek whimpers a little before saying, "I don't… I don't understand. I don't understand anything. Where did it all go? Who…" Jordan nods and says, "I don't know. But, if you come with me, I promise to try and help you figure it out. And I won't let Haigh touch you again. I promise that too. Okay?"

Derek finally nods, and lets Jordan escort him back to the truck. And upon Haigh's insistence that the kid looks like he might try and pull something, Jordan reluctantly puts cuffs on Derek as well, though he doesn't tighten them nearly as much as he's probably supposed to.

After that, it's a long, silent trip back to the station. Jordan is going to have to have a word with Noah about this. Haigh was getting out of hand.

As another deputy walks in the doorway, Derek finally lifts his head a little bit. He'd been staring down at his cuffed hands, dismal as ever, when he finally caught a whiff of the scent. The scent from the girl who had held him out in the desert. All of those people had smelt vaguely familiar. It was the way pack smelled to each other, like family even if you weren't blood related. So he knew they were pack, even if he didn't know who they were or remember them.

But this was different. She smelt like home. From the first moment he'd seen her, that's what her scent reminded him of. Home.

Turning his head, he tries to see outside the door, to see if she's there. Nix, he remembers being her name. But, though she was near, she apparently wasn't right outside yet, or coming in. He hopes she does soon though. Nothing made sense… nothing at all. But she would at least make him feel like he still had a solid place to land when his mind could finally find a place to settle.

Derek then looks up as the nicer deputy, who he now knows is named Parrish, approaches him. Bending down to Derek's height, he glances back at Haigh disapprovingly, and then turns back to Derek. Grinning a little, Jordan says, "The other deputy thinks I'm an idiot for even asking. But… I have a feeling that if I take these cuffs off, you're going to be okay? And then, you can help us figure out what happened to your family, so we can go ahead and get you out of here and back home, where you belong. Am I right?"

After a moment, Derek nods, and Jordan removes the handcuffs immediately. Patting Derek's knee, he starts to stand, but pauses when Derek says, "The other deputy is the idiot." Grinning, Jordan says, "I can't argue with that." And Derek actually manages a smile at that, and then Jordan turns as Haigh says, "Parrish, get over here." He frowns at Haigh, who holds his hands up in a surrendering gesture, before saying, "I have an actual problem. I've run this kid's prints eight times. This is all that comes up. Every time."

Looking at the computer screen, Jordan frowns and asks, "Derek Hale?" Who, if he's remembering correctly, was one of the two people that Nixie had been in to see while they were being held on murder charges last year. The two people that Nixie said were harmless as far as she went. Two people that Nixie had scared Cordova over, so she could talk to them whenever she wanted. A Chris Argent, and then a Derek Hale.

Which made no sense, because Jordan remembers both men. He'd gotten close enough, the day that Nixie had brought them breakfast. He remembers both their faces quite clearly. And the young man before them, could not physically be Derek Hale. So what the hell was going on?

Noah then finally enters the room, and upon seeing the picture on the screen, he asks, "Did you say Hale?" Jordan nods and gestures to the computer, and then to the kid sitting in the chair outside his office. Noah does a double-take between the photo and the kid. He gets right up to the younger version of Derek, scrutinizing him with his eyes. He can't make sense of it. Not one bit of sense.

As he's back at the computer, looking over the photo again, that's when Stiles, Scott, and Nixie barge into the room. And Jordan doesn't miss how Derek's eyes snap up and follow Nixie as she walks into the room. And when it becomes apparent that she's walking up to him, Derek stands to his feet and says, "N… Nix?"

She nods and then wraps her arms around his waist, holding him tightly. And Derek, for his part, clings to her in return and basks in her scent. Home. It didn't matter right then, that he couldn't explain what had happened to his house or where his family was. Nix had him, and she smelt safe. Like home.

Noah watches her for a moment, and then looks to the other boys before sighing and saying to Haigh and Jordan, "I'll handle this." Then he ushers Stiles and Scott into the office. Gently patting Nixie's shoulder, he says, "I need to borrow you."

Derek squeezes her tighter for a moment, but then reluctantly let's go when she leans back. She bumps up his chin and says, "Wait here. I'm not going anywhere without you." Then she notes the burn marks that are now on his clothes, and she frowns before following Noah into the office.

Leaning against his desk, Noah says to them, "Now, I want you guys to be honest with me. Completely, and totally, honest." They all nod, and Nixie fully believes she's prepared for any question he might have.

She was not quite prepared for him to ask, "Have you been time traveling? Because if time traveling is real, then you know what? I'm done. I'm out. You're going to be driving me to Eichen House!"

Stiles stares at his dad in disbelief, and then turns to Nixie, whose burst of laughter was as shocking as it was relieving. Nudging her shoulder, Stiles asks, "What the hell is so funny?" "Stiles, you're not serious. You don't think it's funny?! Your dad thinks we found an old DeLorean, turned it into a time machine, and then got Kira to zap it with 1.21 gigawatts of electricity so we could travel back in time for the younger Derek."

Stiles stares at her for a moment, and then rolls his eyes and says, "Are you really referring to a movie right now?" "No. I'm referring to the fact that, on top of everything else we've seen, I can't believe we haven't attempted time travel yet. We have a thunder fox at our disposal, people. We should consider giving this a shot. But, you know, after we get Derek back to being Derek."

Noah looks between all three and asks, "So… no time travel?" Scott shakes his head and says, "We found him like that." Standing up, still not able to believe this, Noah asks, "Where!? Swimming in the Fountain of Youth!?" Nixie lifts a finger and says, "Also something we should consider looking into."

Stiles gives her a look, and then says to his dad, "No. We found him buried in a tomb of wolfsbane." And Nixie adds, "In an Aztec temple in Mexico." Stiles nods and adds, "Underneath a church in the middle of this town…" And Nixie finishes, "That was destroyed by an earthquake."

Noah looks between all three of them again and then exclaims, "You told me you were camping!" Stiles nods and says, "And that was true! We were." Nixie nods too, but adds, "We just left out that we were camping in Mexico."

While Noah struggles with deciding which one of them he's more aggravated at, which will most likely end up being Stiles anyway, Scott says, "Derek's been aged backwards. He can't remember anything." Noah blinks at that, and then points at Nixie and says, "He said her name." Stiles nods and says, "Yeah, but that's because she's the one who comforted him while we were getting him out of Mexico."

Noah sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose while Stiles says, "Look, we just need to talk to him." Nixie nods and adds, "And get him somewhere safe until we can figure out how to fix this." Noah nods to that, but then sighs and says, "I get it guys. But so far… he's not talking to anybody. Except Nixie, it looks like. And I'm guessing her influence only stretches so far."

Stiles shrugs and says, "We could test it, but since he already ran away from us once, I'd rather not right now. Nixie could probably convince him to stay for a while." Scott nods, but then adds, "But he'll listen to me. At least a little bit. I'm the alpha. He'll listen." Nixie nods to that, and as Noah prepares to bring Derek in, she asks, "What happened to Derek's shirt?"

Noah sighs and says, "Jordan's already handed in his report. Nixie, I can't afford to fire him right now." "Fire who?" "Haigh." Frowning, Nixie asks, "What did he do?" "He used the tazer on Derek. But he's a werewolf, so he's fine."

But Nixie's eyes are livid as she says, "He's a teenager who doesn't understand any of what's going on around him! He's a terrified kid! What the actual, fucking, hell, Noah!" "Nixie, I can't…"

But as much as he knows he can't afford to fire Haigh right now, he doesn't try to stop Nixie as she storms out of the office.

Jordan peeks up from his desk, only to snap himself to attention at the fury in Nixie's gaze. Derek had been standing, maybe about to reach out for her, but drew himself up short when her piercing eyes began sweeping across the room.

And when they land on Haigh… if looks could kill.

It wasn't the same as when she'd glared at Jordan last year. When he hadn't readily given Chris Argent his electrified baton back, she'd given him a similar glare… but not like this. The one he'd received had been full of annoyance and aggravation, like she didn't have time to stand there and debate with him about whether or not to give Chris the weapon back. The light saber, as he'd called it at the time.

But the look she was giving Haigh, would make any sane man fear for his life. She looked ready to murder him. At the very least, she looked ready to beat the man within an inch of his life. And he'd seen Nixie take on ninjas. Actual ninjas. Haigh wouldn't stand a chance.

Nor would Nixie survive the amount of charges that Haigh was sure to file and press if he decided to. Noah's pull as the Sheriff was far reaching, but there was a limit to what he could do.

So as Nixie made to march across the room to Haigh, even as the man in question scrambled in his seat in fear, Jordan rose quickly to his feet. Reaching an arm out to catch her around the waist, drawing her up short, he says softly, "You need to calm down." "He hurt my boy!"

She said it through her teeth, but there was no less venom in the words. She was shaking, so visibly furious with the man. Jordan nods and says, "And no one should be stupid enough to do that. I get it, I really do. But if you go over there right now and actually punch him, he will try to have you arrested for attacking an officer."

Glancing at Haigh, who was trying to weave his way out of the room at the moment, Jordan sighs and says, "And to piss me off even more today, he'd probably insist that I help with arresting you. And right as you may be to want to hit him, legally I would have to assist."

Stiles and Scott gently usher Derek into the office with Noah, and then Scott steps tentatively towards Jordan and Nixie. "Nix… I need you to watch the door. You know… when you're done and okay again. Make sure no one bothers us. Noah's orders." He adds the last part for Jordan's benefit, and then steps back into the office.

It takes another minute, but Nixie finally leans back. Relaxing slightly, Nixie then glances up at Jordan and says, "I want it on record that the only reason I'm not kicking his ass is because I don't think I can afford to spend tonight in a jail cell." And Jordan can't help it. He grins slightly and says, "Noted. I promise." "Good."

Sighing, Nixie steps back and then mumbles, "Sorry." "For what?" "I don't know. For making you have to worry about me attacking your partner. I'm sure you have more important things to do." Jordan shrugs and says, "I don't know about that. Keeping you out of any worse trouble… seems like a pretty important thing to me."

He relaxes a little more when she grins at him, and then she says, "Thanks, Parrish." "Sure, Nixie."

After that, she takes a seat by the door to Noah's office, ensuring that anyone who comes any closer, doesn't try to enter before Scott and Stiles are done talking to Derek inside. And though her glare is no less threatening to anyone that comes near the door, Jordan can't help but notice the dark circles already returning under her eyes. She looks exhausted. Like she hasn't slept in a week. And considering they were all supposed to have gone on one final vacation before school started… that was saying something.

With that in mind, Jordan steps away from his desk and into the lunch area. Pulling out one of the portable cups and pouring in some coffee, he goes about making her special coffee. He fills up another one for himself, taking it black, and then steps back out of the room.

Her gaze had gone back to Haigh for a moment, since the man had stupidly reentered the room, but as Jordan started coming up closer to her, she looked up at him. And it warmed his heart to see her glare vanish. Pulling up a chair from his own desk, he takes a seat in front of her for the moment, and then hands her the cup of coffee he'd made for her. Glancing at it, Nixie then lifts her gaze back to him and asks, "By the way, how did you manage to convince Stiles to reveal his secret? I don't even know how to make this." Grinning, Jordan simply says, "Trade secret."

She laughs at him, and as she takes a sip, she sighs and says, "Thanks, Parrish." "Sure. You look like you could use it. Must've been quite the camping trip for you to come back this tired already." "Yeah. You could say that."

They don't talk for a while, Jordan knowing that there's probably a lot more to this story than meets the eye, and Nixie is honestly not in a mood to try and make up a lie for him to hear right now. In fact… she hates lying to him. She really does.

Taking another sip of her coffee, Nixie sighs and says, "It's really good." Smiling, Jordan says, "It should be. Pretty sure there's enough sugar content in there to cause diabetes in a normal person." Nixie grins and says, "Good thing I'm not normal then." Jordan nods, "Yes. Thank goodness for that."

She stares at him a moment, and then glances down at his cup and asks, "And what exactly goes into your coffee?" "Nothing. I drink it black." "You do not. No one drinks coffee black." "I do." She raises an eyebrow, and then takes his cup from him and takes a sip. Jordan stares at her for a moment in disbelief, but then can't help laughing when she nearly chokes on it. Making a disgusted sound in her throat, Nixie asks, "How in hell do you drink that?!" "Personally, I drink it hot."

Nixie's eyes widen, but then she laughs and says, "Right. Of course." Grinning, Parrish says, "I always drink it black. Used to do it because the sugar and stuff wasn't part of what helped me stay awake. That was actually counterproductive. Now… now this is just how I like it."

Nixie nods in understanding, though she smirks and adds, "And you call me abnormal." Jordan chuckles and then they both look up when Stiles sticks his head out the door. Turning to Nixie, he says, "Um… Nix, could you… he um… he wants to see you. Right now, please?" Nixie raises an eyebrow at that, but nods and stands up. Jordan rises with her, and smiles again when she says, "Thanks again for the coffee, Parrish." "Of course. Do try to get some sleep eventually, Nixie." She nods, though he hears her mumble, "No promises though." Then she steps into the office with the others.

Turning to look at Derek as Scott is talking with him, she jumps when his head immediately snaps in her direction. Scott had apparently given up on finding the middle ground. He was about to tell Derek that his family was alright, and just had to leave Beacon Hills for a while. But while he's trying to get Derek's attention back, they all freeze when Derek says, "I'll listen to her."

And as all eyes land on her, Nixie shrugs as a sign that she doesn't understand it either. Scott was the alpha. He should have more pull that Nixie did in this situation. So Nixie asks, "Derek… why? I'm not the alpha."

Derek's response, for the moment, is to dash so he's right in front of her. Stiles jumps from her side and tries to move between them, but Nixie gives him a gentle shove to stay where he is. Stiles says, "Nixie, he's still…" "He's Derek Hale. Which means he's harmless when it comes to me." Derek nods that he has no intention of hurting her. If anything, his eyes seem to widen at the realization that anyone thought he would ever try to hurt her.

Nixie hands her coffee over to Stiles to hold, and stares up into Derek's eyes. There is still so much confusion, fear, and worry in his wide gaze. But as he continues looking on at her, she can also see a glimmer of hope, and it's all directed at her right now.

As his hands clench into fists repeatedly at his side, as though restraining himself at the moment, he then says, "You… you smell safe. Like safety. Like home." Nixie blinks in surprise to that, and then Derek turns to Scott and asks, "Don't you smell it too?" Scott nods without question, but then jumps when Nixie snaps her eyes over to him in surprise. Blinking in her confusion, Nixie asks, "What? Why do I smell like that?" Scott shrugs and says, "You always have." "And when was anyone ever going to tell me that?!" Scott sighs and adds, "It's not… it's not anything new Nixie. You've always smelled like that. From my first day as a wolf, to now. It's just… it's how you smell. I guess I just… didn't really think anything of it at the time."

While Nixie keeps that bit of information at the side of her mind to mull over later, she turns back to Derek. Sighing, she says, "Alright. What do you want to know?" He immediately asks, "What happened to my house?" "There was a fire, and it was almost burned all the way to the ground. It's been condemned for quite a while." "And my family? What about my family? Where are they? What…" Nixie puts a hand on his shoulder and says, "Derek, slow down…" "Please, I need to…" "Derek, look at me."

He meets her deep blue eyes, and listens as she says gently, "I am not going to explain all of that to you right now. I know, that you're confused and hurt and scared. And that's okay. You have every right to be." Firming her gaze a bit, she says, "But I am not going to tell you every great detail of what you don't remember. I want you to remember it for yourself. I want you to get your memories back."

She stares at him hard a moment longer, and then asks gently, "Do you understand?" Scott and Stiles wait with baited breath for Derek's response, and then both sigh in relief when he nods and says softly, "Okay." Nixie nods in turn, and then is about to turn towards Scott to ask what their next step should be. But Derek finally launches forward and wraps his arm around her tightly.

Nixie freezes for a moment in surprise, but then settles in for hugging him back. Running a hand up his trembling back, willing her comfort into him, she says, "It's alright Derek. We are going to figure this out. I promise." Derek buries his face against her neck, breathing her in, soaking in all of the comfort and peace she willingly provides.

Nixie then glances over at Scott and asks, "So… what's the plan now, my dear alpha?" Scott smiles gently at her, nodding his appreciation for finding the middle ground. Then he says, "We get his memories back… somehow. I'm going to talk to somebody who can, maybe, at least help us put a timetable on where Derek currently is in his mind."

Nixie wonders who that might be, but then her phone buzzes. It's Kira texting her, telling her that she needs to come and be with Lydia. Immediately.

Frowning at that, Nixie then lifts her gaze and says, "Alright. Where are we taking Derek for safe keeping?" Stiles points to Scott and says, "Scott's house." Nixie nods, and then as Derek leans back, she cups his face in her hands and says, "You will be safe there. Alright?" He nods, and then asks, "Are you coming?" "I can't. Not right away. I have to help a friend follow up another lead. But I'll be there as soon as I can. For now though, Stiles will take you."

And then she looks at Stiles and whispers, "Be nice." "Me?!" Nixie grins at his exclamation, and then is about to turn and leave. That's when Derek catches her arm and draws her back in. Confused, Nixie asks, "What…"

And then his lips are on hers. Nixie freezes in complete shock, but doesn't shove him away. She lets him.

When he pulls back after that quick kiss, Derek sighs and says, "Sorry. I… it just…" But Nixie says in realization, "Made you feel even more relaxed and safe." Derek nods, and Nixie puts a hand on his shoulder and says, "I'm not mad. Don't worry about that."

Scott and Stiles look at each other, and when Noah gives them all a questioning look, Scott explains, "Isaac did the same to thing to her last year apparently. Somehow, it helped him soak up her scent that much more."

After that, everyone finally divides to go to their respective places. Scott to Peter. Stiles with Derek to Scott's house, under strict instructions to inform Nixie the moment anything new happened or developed.

Nixie, before leaving, stepped into the back lounge of the station. Leaning against the sink, she sighs and runs a hand over her face and mouth. That was… she believes it was the fifth time she'd been kissed. And now she finally understands why she'd been kissed by men that she knew would never actually love her the way a boyfriend, or an eventual lover might.

She loves providing comfort to her friends. She did everything she could to make them feel safe and secure. But this… this was the only reason she'd ever been kissed. And in spite of the happy result it had… for Nixie, it was downright sad.

As Jordan walks into the room a moment later, he pauses at Nixie's side. He'd been glancing into Noah's office every now and then, checking on them in there after Nixie had gone in. And he'd seen Derek kiss Nixie, and had seen that she didn't push him away.

He couldn't explain it… but he was almost sorry that he had been so nice to the kid this whole time… whether he was Nixie's boy or not.

Rinsing out a mug in the sink, he actually says kindly, "So… you're boyfriend seemed to be in better spirits when he left? How's he…" "Shut up, Parrish."

Usually, her comments of 'shut up' were jokes and not literal. At least, to him they had been. Most of the time. But this time… this time she actually sounded utterly pissed. Frowning and leaning against the sink with her, he asks, "Hey. What's wrong? I thought things were working out. Derek was released. He looks happier. What's…"

Nixie stands up straight so fast that Jordan has to blink before he can follow the movement. Running a hand through her hair, she turns back to face him. And Jordan's just standing there, watching her with his concerned eyes, leaning back against the sink now, waiting for her to tell him what's wrong.

And she's not sure why. It still makes absolutely no sense. But she wants to tell him. In fact… she feels like telling him will somehow make it better than if she were to tell any other person that she could talk to about this. And considering all the people she has that she could talk to about this… that was saying something.

But Jordan was easy to talk to. He was a good listener, and had even more patience than she did. So finally…

Jordan blinks in surprise when Nixie says, "You want to know what's wrong? What's wrong, is that I have been kissed a total of five times, my whole life. And each time, it has not meant anything." Frowning, Jordan asks, "What do you mean?" "I mean, I've never been kissed by anyone who mattered! At least… not that way."

Sighing and running both hands through her hair, pulling her ponytail out in the process to make it easier, Nixie huffs in her aggravation before speaking again. "I mean… they all matter. They're mine. I'd die for them. But… I've only actually been kissed by two people. Wait… three? No, two. Anyways, it doesn't matter. What matters, is that they only did it because of how I make them feel. Which is safe, and at home. They kissed me because they wanted to feel even more comfort than they already did from me. And that's not what a kiss is supposed to do. I mean… sometimes, sure. But it's also supposed to be a thing full of passion… a promise of more."

Stopping in her pacing, sighing again, Nixie says, "I've been kissed five times. And not once has that even been an inkling of an option. Not once."

Then Nixie looks back over at Jordan, who is still standing there, watching her, his patient gaze taking her in and everything she's saying. Blinking, finally remembering who she's talking to, Nixie then says, "And I'm… sorry. You… you didn't need to know that. God, I'm so sorry. I just…"

Jordan stands up after that, coming closer to her. Gently wrapping an arm around her, he says, "Hey. Come here."

He draws her in, one hand wrapping down towards her waist, the other remaining high, his hand resting at the back of her head. Nixie remains frozen for a moment, but then he feels her arms wrap around him in turn.

He feels what everyone else feels, he suspects. As though some unseen weight was suddenly lifted from him. But… and he's not even sure how… he finds himself trying to push back against that feeling. He didn't have any huge burdens to carry… not like Nixie apparently felt she did. And what she needed right now, wasn't for someone to try and take comfort from her. What she needed, was for someone to finally give it back.

As her hands cling tighter, Jordan feels her tremble in his grip. Breathing out a long sigh against his chest, Nixie suddenly feels that, even while standing, she could fall asleep right here, and find better rest than she ever has anywhere else.

She's not sure how long they stand there. She just knows that, even though she's the one that pulls back, she still hasn't spent enough time in his arms.

She really needed to figure out why she liked him so much. Sooner, rather than later, as this point.

Jordan glances down at her when she leans back, and then asks, "Can I help you get home?" Nixie shakes her head and says, "No. I'm not going home yet." "You need rest, Nixie." She smiles up at him and says, "I know. I'll get that, eventually. I promise."

He nods after a moment, and then says, "Alright. Be careful Nixie." "As careful as I can be." She backs up a step more, and is about to walk out the door, when she turns back to him and says, "Parrish?" He looks over at her and asks, "Yeah?" "Thank you." Smiling gently, he says, "Anytime, Nixie."

And with that, and a bit of a lighter bounce to her step, Nixie leaves the station to find Lydia, prepared to take on whatever new crisis has apparently come up since yesterday. And if Lydia was the one that found it… it definitely couldn't be good.

When Kira remembered that Nixie hadn't driven herself anywhere today, trying to save on gas money, she takes Lydia's car to come and meet Nixie on the road. And when they come back to the gas station, Lydia is still just standing there, staring into the bathroom on the side of the building. Nixie hops out to head over, but Kira cautions her, "Nixie… it's, pretty gruesome." Nixie nods in understanding, but when she comes to stand next to Lydia, she still looks inside to see what Lydia's sees.

Blood is everywhere. There isn't a surface that isn't covered in the stuff, save a few areas on the floor. And the man that all the blood came from is torn apart. The insides of his stomach can be seen pooling on the floor beside what's left of him. His head… well, Nixie wouldn't know it was his head if the man's feet weren't still attached to his body.

It was savagery. It was chaos. Frowning, Nixie says, "It looks like she lost it." Lydia nods numbly for a moment, and then takes in a shaky breath before turning to Nixie. Holding up her phone, she says, "I called Noah. They'll be here soon. He's giving us a few minutes so you could have time to see it." Nixie nods, and then glances down at her phone when it goes off.

Picking it up, she asks, "Yeah, Scott?" "Derek's gone." Frowning deeply, Nixie asks, "How in the hell…" Then she closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and then says, "Fine. We'll find him again, and we'll tie his ass up in a basement somewhere until we can get him back. Where is he?" "That's the thing. We're not sure. But we know Kate took him."

Blinking, Nixie asks, "What the hell does she want Derek for now?" "Again, I'm hoping you and Lydia can help with that. While talking to Peter, we figured out that Kate took him back to the age where he still knew and trusted her. So… does that help?" Nixie shrugs and says, "Not sure yet. Let me fill you in on what we have here and then I'll work on that." "Sure. What did Lydia find?" "Same thing she always finds. A dead body. Except this one is… exceptionally dead. Torn to shreds, blood everywhere. I mean, it's…" "Can you send pictures?"

Nixie blinks and then turns to Lydia and says, "Scott wants pictures." Lydia widens her gaze at Nixie, who nods and says, "I know. Not exactly screensaver material. We'll delete them right after." So Lydia peers her way inside, taking pictures of what she thinks might be most important, and then sends them to Scott's phone. Nodding, Nixie asks, "You get em', Scott?"

Scott looks down, and though horrified by the sight he's seeing, he says, "Yeah. Yeah, we got em." Then Nixie hears Malia over the line ask, "Why would she want to kill a gas station attendant?" As Peter gazes at the pictures, he says, "I don't think she could help it. This looks like it was done in more of a frenzy. It's not a murder."

They all pause when Nixie says, "Uh, worth noting to the jackass in the room, this is definitely, one-hundred-percent, a murder. And cops are probably going to label it as some sort of crazed lunatic that might be going out on a spree." Peter concedes, "Well, if it's Kate, then that wouldn't be such a bad warning to send out to people. But, as far as the intent of it goes, it's not a murder. She didn't plan this. No… this is a symptom?"

Scott looks up at him and asks, "Of what?" "She can't control the shift." And as Scott ponders it more, he says, "Derek said the same thing. When we were talking in Noah's office, he said that he was still learning to control it. He was fine so long as it wasn't a full moon, but if that came up, he'd be in trouble."

Malia asks next, "So, Kate's still learning?" And they all look at the phone again when Nixie says, "The bitch has had at least two years to learn. You'd think she'd have learned to exert some willpower by now." Peter then says, "Unfortunately, not everyone can be as quick a study as your alpha, Nixie. Even for born werewolves, it sometimes takes until they're adults before they've fully mastered the shift."

And then Peter adds, "Plus, she hasn't had a teacher. Kate wants to learn to control the shift." Nodding, Malia asks, "So, she wants Derek to teach her?" But Peter shakes his head and says, "No. She wants the triskelion."

Nixie asks over the phone, "And that would be what, exactly? And can Derek even get it for her?" Peter answers, "The triskelion is a round stone with the triskele carved into it. It was Derek's, when he was younger. A token to keep with him and to try and remind him of the mantra to help him learn control. But I'm pretty sure Kate thinks it just gives out control, and that's not how it works. The thing is barely even valuable, in any sense other than a sentimental one."

Nodding to herself, Nixie says, "Okay. And where the hell is that?" "In the Hale vault. Beneath the school." And Scott can't help but grin when Nixie asks, "Why is there a vault under the school? Why did that seem like an ideal place to put it?" Peter sighs and says, "The vault was there first. The school ended up built over top of it."

After a pause, Nixie says, "Alright. I guess we're going to the school. Scott, I'll meet you there as soon as I can. But…" "I know. Take care of Lydia." "Trust me. I'm all over it."

Soon as she hangs up, Nixie pulls Lydia gently away from the scene. They take seats on the concrete step by the gas pumps, and as Lydia leans into Nixie, she says, "I'm okay. I just… wasn't quite expecting that." Nixie nods and says, "I know. Neither was I. And considering all the possibilities I try to account for when it comes to what you might end up finding… that is saying something." Lydia grins, and then says, "Thanks for coming." "Like you could've kept me away if you tried."

They sit there for a while, until the cops arrive and start taking inventory of the scene. Lydia has to give a statement of what she saw. Nixie calls Stiles when it takes more than an hour to get this done, and he's on his way to them when Nixie's phone rings.

Jordan is taking Lydia's statement, but they both turn as they hear Nixie say, "Scott, slow down. There's what?"

Over her phone, Scott yells, "Berserkers! Kate brought them with her from the desert! They're here!" "I'm on my way."

She doesn't care if Lydia's done giving her statement or not, she runs up to them anyway. Catching Lydia's elbow gently, she says, "I have to go." Lydia nods and then pulls out her keys and says, "Take my car. I'll get a ride with Stiles when he gets here. Go!"

As Nixie takes off, Jordan turns to Lydia and asks, "Is everything alright?" Lydia sighs and says, "That's going to take a much longer discussion than we have time for, I'm afraid." Jordan nods, going back to his notes, not pressing for now. Lydia looks him over, and then says, "Though, you'll probably be brought in eventually."

Jordan glances up at her, and then chuckles and asks, "In what, exactly? Is there some cult I should be aware of?" "No. We're not a cult." Jordan nods, already knowing that. Then he pauses again when Lydia says, "But you're Nixie's favorite now. Means you'll be a good friend for us to have."

Looking up at her again, Jordan says, "You say I'm her favorite like that means something significant. Other than the fact that it also helped in making me the sheriff's favorite." Lydia smiles gently and says, "Nixie doesn't like people easily. You have to have good stuff inside. You have to have the potential to be our friend. And a very good one, at that. You have to be hers."

Jordan nods again, but then says, "But I'm not hers. From what I can tell, that title seems to reside over you guys, who are in her grade." Lydia tilts her head as Jordan takes more notes, and then she says, "I thought you'd be smarter."

When Jordan gives her a slightly offended look, Lydia says, "Just because we're Nixie's age and therefore her closer friends, doesn't mean we're the only ones who she claims. You think Noah, or Melissa, are any less hers because they're the adults instead of kids? No… they're Nixie's just the same."

And when Jordan returns to his notes, he can't help but overhear Lydia's mumbled add on, "And you're hers too. Whether either of you realize it yet, or not."

Kira had hopped inside the car with Nixie, with barely enough time to shut her door before Nixie took off down the road. And, never having ridden with Nixie before when she was in high-speed-pursuit mode, Kira finds herself clinging to the handlebar above her head for dear life.

Nixie never crashes though. She pulls in and parks right in front of the lower steps at the back of the school, and then takes off out of the car. Kira is two steps behind her, both of them running to try and find Scott and Malia.

Both freeze when they hear Scott's roar, and then they backtrack and head for the stairs at the back of the lunch area at school.

Scott and Malia have finally been tossed to the ground, both wounded for now and scrambling back to get out of the way. Kira draws her sword and asks Nixie, "You want the one on the right?" "So long as you want the one on the left." Grinning, Kira says, "Done." "Good. Let's go!"

Kira leads in first, using her katana to create distance between the berserkers and where Scott and Malia are on the ground. Then Nixie follows suit, turning the berserker on the right to focus on her, while Kira handles the one on the left.

It occurs to Nixie that this is just a diversion. Kate is nowhere to be seen right now, and neither is Derek or Peter. But diversion or not, they have no choice but to fight these things. At least, until Scott and Malia can get back on their feet.

Then Nixie hears Scott shout, "Kira!" She snaps her attention over in time to see Kira get smacked and tossed back to where Scott is. Gritting her teeth, she twirls her daggers and says, "Alright. Let's go."

Malia is honestly astonished, watching Nixie, the human, fight for them. Stiles had explained to her enough about Nixie that she'd known Nixie was a fighter. A 'compact-ninja' as Stiles was keen to refer to her, even if the name wasn't something Nixie was particularly fond of. But it was another thing entirely, to finally be able to see it all in action.

Amidst being caught between the two berserkers, Nixie does feel a claw slice into her right bicep, and then again on her left side. She just grits her teeth tighter and pushes on. Slamming one across his skull covered face, she then ducks beneath another's arm and leaps over the railing beside them. Dropping down out of sight, clinging to the fenced siding to keep herself from falling to the concrete below, her plan had been to come back up on the other side of the column next to her and then hopefully take them by surprise and push them back further.

But the growl that came from her left had her turning to see the young Derek charging at the berserkers. One berserker had been coming to the edge, trying to find where Nixie had gone. But upon hearing Derek, they both turn to face him.

Derek, being born a werewolf, was more trained to fight than the other supernatural creatures in the pack. Nixie would have to make a note to ask him to teach Scott some moves at some point. She watches him take these creatures on fearlessly, apparently having heard Scott's call and coming to his aid.

When he gets slammed into some lockers, Nixie sees, for the barest moment, how his face shifts and looks like it might be the old Derek again. But then the berserker is bearing down on him. Derek's head almost gets bashed in as he turns around to see the claw coming down at him.

Then the berserker cries out, actually cries out, when Nixie's dagger flies through the air, stabbing into his wrist and knocking him clear of Derek's head. The other one spins around and marches towards her, to which Nixie quickly drops back down as far as she can, still clinging to the fenced side of the railing so she doesn't fall.

The berserker almost reaches down over the railing to grab her anyway, when Derek growls louder and jerks him back. He continues fighting them, flipping around, kicking and clawing at them, holding his own against these beasts.

Then they all hear the cry of a jaguar, and the berserkers stop immediately before taking off away from the school grounds.

And as everyone finally stands up, looking at Derek as he rises to his feet, Scott asks, "Derek?"

And it is Derek. The old Derek. Finally, come back to them and, it seems, remembering all that's happened. Though when he glows his eyes at them… they're yellow. Nixie, who is pulling herself up again, raises an eyebrow and says, "Interesting development." Derek turns to look at her, and then comes to grab hold of her and lift her back onto their side. Settling on her feet again, she sighs and then winces and says, "Owe. That really hurt my fingers. You couldn't have scared them off a little sooner?" Derek raises an eyebrow, but smiles gently at her anyway. Kissing the top of her head, he says, "Hey Nixie." "Hey Derek."

Wrapping her arms around him, she sighs and says, "Good to have you back." "Good to be back." Then Nixie looks to the others and asks, "Is everyone else alright?" They all nod. The werewolves were a little worse for wear, but they were already healing, so they knew they'd be fine. Sighing in relief, Nixie says, "Alright. Let's get out of here then. Does anyone know if Stiles or Lydia showed up?"

When they meet Lydia and Stiles down by the cars, they explain how Peter was robbed while they were fighting the berserkers. One-hundred and seventeen. Million. In bearer bonds.

Nixie's only response is, "And he kept them all in the same place? That's just stupid. He deserves to have them all stolen."

Lydia grins, and then says, "Come on. I'll take you home. We all need to go home and rest. Looks like it's shaping up to be another exciting semester." Nixie nods and says, "Very well said, my dear friend. Very well said."

When Nixie steps into her apartment, she sees two pieces of new mail. Well, one piece of new mail. The other is a folded note from the landlord, her apparent 'guardian'. Opening the first one, she finds that it's a letter explaining that the cost for her mother's stay in Eichen House had risen slightly, which meant everything else had to be reallocated for where it was going each month. And one of the things that had to go completely, was the rent for the apartment.

Nixie's sure that they must've assumed that, by now for sure, the landlord wouldn't still be charging Nixie rent for her staying in his building. He was supposed to be her father figure… surely removing the rent would be fine.

But Nixie knows better. And as she opens the note from the landlord, sure enough, it explains that he expects the three hundred dollars of rent by the end of the month. Which, she knows, is not actually a lot. There are other places that charge four, five, and six hundred dollars for rent a month. But Nixie is seventeen. Her job, if you can even call it that, is unsteady at best, and she knows she can't earn three-hundred dollars for rent by the end of the month. Not with Kate on the loose, Derek with yellow eyes, and one-hundred-seventeen million bonds stolen for only God knows what reason.

On top of that, given everything that seemed to be happening, she was going to have to start riding her bike again, which meant money for gas, which meant less money for rent.

But… Nixie has a plan for this. She's always had a plan, ever since she saw the true character of the landlord come out. She couldn't stay with Scott or Stiles. Scott's dad was taking the spare room in his house, and Stiles' dad was the sheriff. Sure, she's stayed with them before, but only on temporary basis. This would be more permanent, and with Noah being the sheriff… she didn't want to put him in that position. She was technically still a minor, which meant she should be reported to the system if she ended up homeless.

And hell will freeze over before Nixie leaves or gets sent anywhere away from her family and friends. Her pack.

Lydia's family was in enough financial struggle as it was. They didn't need to bear her as a burden too. And Kira… well, Nixie is sure Kira would volunteer to help her stay… but she is not sure about Noshiko and Ken. Ever since last year, she'd kept her opinion of those two as clearly still being on thin ice.

So no… for now, she sticks with the plan she'd made long ago. Long before she even met Scott and Stiles. Nixie had always had a plan… had always feared something like this might happen.

Still, you have to admit… it couldn't have come at a worst time. And as Nixie lays down to sleep that night, wracking her brain to see if there is any other solution, she hears a soft misting rain begin landing against her window nearby. Wiping at her nose, a tear leaving her eye, she sighs and says, "Nothing to cry over. This is just another thing. A thing I can deal with. And given all the other shit I've had to deal with in the past two years alone… this is a cake walk. It's just a thing. Nothing more."

In spite of that though, the mist remains on her window outside, a tiny bit of frost forming at the edge of the glass.

And here is Chapter 2! Woohoo!