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 5: Episode 4x5

Stiles has just handed over the list to his dad, inside his office at the sheriff's station. That's when Nixie walks in. Closing the door behind her, offering Jordan a smile before she shuts it completely, she then turns back to the others and says, "Sorry I'm late. Where are we?" Stiles points to the list and says, "I was just telling him that Lydia is the one who found the list." "Right."

Noah nods, but then asks, "How?" Stiles answers, "She wrote it. Well, actually, she transcribed it… without realizing it." Noah sighs and asks, "Banshee?" Stiles confirms, "Banshee." "Beautiful. Alright, well, what are these numbers next to the names?" Stiles points and is about to explain, but Nixie holds up a hand and says, "Get to that later. Explain the other thing first."

Noah would protest… but Scott holds up a hand to him and then glances back at Nixie.

Having to deal with a dead pool wasn't the thing that bothered her the most. They'd dealt with psychotic werewolves and hunters. They'd handled Oni, an alpha pack, and a severely whacked out darach. Scott knows that Nixie is confident in their ability to handle the assassins about to be thrown their way.

But what bugged her about all of this… was the name that had been used as the first cipher key to break the code. And as Stiles explains that it was 'Alison' that had been used to break it, Noah turns back to Nixie in understanding.

Some bastard was using the name of their beloved friend as a code word in a dead pool meant to target and kill them. A friend who was dead and had sacrificed much to try and keep her friends safe and out of harm.

Nixie has already apologized to Scott in advance for the threats she may make towards this individual. And he honestly can't find it in him to be mad at her for wanting to kill them at this point. He'll work on that later… when he's gotten over Alison's name being the cipher key.

Scott puts a hand on Nixie's shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly, while Stiles tells Noah, "Her name broke a third of the list." Nodding, Scott adds, "And we think there's two other cipher keys." And Nixie looks up and finishes, "Which will give us the rest of the names."

Noah looks between all three of them, and then nods, "Okay. So, how do we get the cipher keys?" Sighing, Stiles says, "Same way we got the code. Lydia." Scott nods, "She's been at the lake house all weekend, trying to find the other two keys words."

At which point, Stiles and Scott turn to Nixie again. Looking over at them, she shakes her head and says, "She hasn't had any other luck in the quiet room. Malia, Kira, and I are taking shifts staying with her. But at this point… I don't think it makes any sense to stay in there any longer. Plus, Lydia hasn't eaten anything since lunch yesterday. I told them to give her another hour. After that, they're taking her to get food and then we'll head to school to try something else."

Stiles nods and asks, "Is she alright?" Sighing, Nixie says, "She's alright. Not worried about going crazy or anything like that. She's more frustrated than anything else."

As Noah flips through a few more of his crime scene photos, he says to Scott, "You didn't know about Demarco or Carrie. Right?" Scott nods in confirmation, and then Noah adds, "And what about the other two names on this list that I don't recognize. Kayleen Bettcher and Elias Town? Are they werewolves too?"

Scott can only shake his head and say, "I don't know. But Deaton warned us that the Nemeton would draw supernatural creatures here." Nixie nods and adds, "Which, if I may say, it did. We now have foxes in our midst. And we apparently had wendigos as well. So, spot on. At least, on that point." Stiles nods in agreement, but then they all look to Noah when he asks, "Okay, but wait. Are we talking about 'here', meaning Beacon Hills? Or Beacon County? The population of Beacon Hills is just under thirty-thousand people."

Without missing a beat, Stiles adds, "And dropping." His father gives him a look, but Stiles grins when Nixie holds up her hand behind Scott's back for a high-five. Noah gives them both a look at that, but then says, "Anyways… but if we're talking Beacon County? Then you're looking at closer to… five- hundred-thousand."

Nixie, Scott, and Stiles all look at each other worriedly. They'd already thought of that possibility. That the range of people they needed to worry about had been expanded exponentially, since giving power back to the Nemeton. But, they had also already debunked that theory, based on the numbers beside each name.

As Noah watches them ponder that, he sits down and asks in frustration, "Look… how many werewolves, banshees, kitsunes… and whatever the hell else is out there… are we talking about here? And also, what happens if the next cipher key uncovers not twelve names, but one-hundred?" Stiles pops in and says, "We don't think there will be that many." Scott nods, "There's a limit, because of the numbers."

Before Noah can ask why they think that, Nixie explains, "We think that after we get the rest of it deciphered, all the numbers will add up to one-hundred-seventeen." To her, Noah asks, "One-hundred-seventeen what?" "Million."

Stiles takes the paper back to right down the Ks and Ms on the paper, which stand for thousands and millions of dollars that is offered for each individual on the page. While he does that, Nixie says, "It's the money that was stolen from Peter out of the Hale vault at the school. Whoever took it is using it to finance all of these murders." Scott adds, "Someone who wants every supernatural in Beacon Hills dead."

Noah looks to Nixie and asks, "The Benefactor?" She nods in answer. Noah sighs, "So… the coded list goes out. Somehow these professional assassins get that list." Stiles adds, "And the cipher keys." Noah nods, "And then they go after the names on the list. And by they, I mean killers with no mouths, tomahawks, thermo-cut wires that can take your head off…" Nixie nods and says, "Yeah, all of that really bad stuff. Apparently professional assassins don't believe in just using a good ole reliable shotgun. Imagine that."

Noah gives her a look, but grins in spite of himself. Stiles then points out, "Actually, Carrie was also stabbed. Dad, what's this mark around the stab wound." Nixie glances down at the hexagonal shape that circles where the knife penetrated the skin. Noah answers, "We're not sure yet. We're waiting on the M.E.'s report."

As they stand there for a second pondering that, Noah poses another question. "There's one other thing I don't get right now. How did this new assassin know that Demarco was going to be at the lake house?" Scott answers, "Everyone knows he delivers kegs to teenagers for a little extra cash."

Noah looks at both boys and sighs, really wishing they didn't know that. But he perks up and even smiles when Stiles points out, "Nixie didn't know that." Nixie looks up from the pictures to see all of them. Then she shrugs and asks, "Why would I need to know that? I don't like beer. I mean… I guess I could handle some beer. But most of it tastes awful. So again… why would I need to know that?"

Noah chuckles and says, "Though I am slightly disappointed that you've apparently tried several different beers, I'm glad you don't like it. Saves me a little bit of trouble." Nixie smiles up at him, and then Noah looks back at the list and says, "So… whoever ordered the keg that night, killed Demarco." Stiles nods, "Yeah. Someone at the party." Scott adds, "A student."

And though the situation was growing more dire by the second, they all grin when Nixie says, "I don't know what you all look so glum about. The fact that it's a student just means I have easier access to them so I can kick their ass. Hard. I'm talking, when I'm finished, they'll already be six feet under the ground. No casket. No burial ceremony. Just dead and buried already. And what on earth are you laughing at Stiles? I'm dead serious."

As they're heading out and preparing to leave, Nixie pinches the bridge of her nose for a moment. Taking a deep breath, she prepares to face this day on her exceptionally little amount of sleep. That's when Jordan, from his desk, says, "Nixie."

Turning to him, she asks, "Yeah? What's up, Jordan?" He smiles gently, and then taps the end of his highlighter against the top of a to-go cup at the edge of his desk. Nixie glances at it in confusion for a moment, but then she smiles and takes it from his desk. She takes in a whiff of the warm smell that is distinctly her coffee, and then sighs and says, "You are my favorite person today, Jordan." Chuckling, he says, "If that's what it takes, I'll start making that part of my morning routine."

Nixie laughs at him, ignoring the look that Stiles and Scott are both giving her from the doorway. And as she moves to join them, preparing to leave, she pauses as Jordan returns to highlighting key sentences in reports on his desk.

Using the orange highlighter. The one he'd opened up new for her to use. The one she'd held between her teeth. The one he was now using regularly on all of his reports.

Nixie couldn't have hidden her grin if she'd wanted to. Biting her lower lip briefly, she then says, "Thanks, Jordan." He glances up with a smile of his own, "Anytime, Nixie."

And after she takes off on her bike for school, Scott and Stiles hang back a minute. Once Scott is sure she's out of range for her own special hearing to pick them up, he asks, "You heard that too, right?" Stiles nods and says, "She's calling him Jordan now. When did that start?" Scott shrugs, and then asks, "And how does he know how to make her coffee? I thought only you knew that." "Well, that one's on me. Parrish convinced me to teach him, since Nixie was hanging out at the station even more than I was, and he wanted a small way to thank her for saving them all from the Oni last year."

Scott nods, and then says, "She likes him." Stiles nods, and then adds, "And just to clarify, we're not just talking about the way she likes us or likes Liam or… well, likes everyone else." Scott nods and says, "She really likes him."

They stay quiet for a moment, and then Scott laughs when Stiles says, "Eventually we should tell him that if he ever breaks her heart, we'll kill him. Well… you'll kill him. I'll help get rid of the body."

Nixie is just walking into the room when she hears Lydia say, "Please stop hovering."

Malia leans back only slightly from Lydia's shoulder, and then says, "I'm not hovering. I'm waiting. Draw something. Write something. We need to know who else is on that list."

And Nixie doesn't miss the exceptionally annoyed tone Lydia uses when she says, "You mean, you need to know if you're on the list." Rolling her eyes, Malia says, "If someone's coming to take my head off, then yeah, I'd like to know."

Lydia closes her eyes and tries to concentrate again, but Malia leans in closer, literally almost completely on top of her. Finally, Lydia just snaps, "Can you please just sit down?! You're making me nervous."

And though Malia does move, she doesn't miss how Lydia's entire form seems to slump in relief when Nixie says from the doorway, "And a nervous Lydia has never boded well for anyone in the past. Trust me. I have experience with this."

Coming up to Lydia's side, smiling gently, Nixie asks, "Any luck?" "No." Nodding, Nixie says, "Well, don't try so hard." "I have to try." "I know. But not so hard. You wrote down the entire cipher without even trying at all. So don't stress so much about this. We'll get there. Just take a breath." Lydia takes a deep breath in, and then lets it out. And as Nixie squeezes her shoulders from behind, giving her a gentle massage, Lydia leans back into her. Resting her head on Nixie's collar, she says, "I have a headache. And I'm so tired."

And Lydia grins when she hears a bottle of pills rattle as Nixie pulls them from her bag. That, and a bottle of water appear in front of her as Nixie reaches around. Lydia takes three of the ibuprofen pills and then downs half the bottle. Handing it back, she asks, "How did you know?" Nixie shrugs and says, "I hate headaches, so I am always prepared to prevent them. You should know this by now. Anyways, take a breather. Rest." "But…" "Don't argue with me. Or the next drink I give you will be dosed with Nyquil."

Lydia has just closed her eyes, when Malia says, "Guys… maybe we need help. From another banshee." They both turn to look at the book she was reading, and then Lydia says, "Meredith."

While Malia and Lydia ponder how they might call to figure out how to contact her, Nixie suddenly hands her phone forward for Lydia to see. "It's ringing." Lydia smiles and takes the phone, but pauses upon seeing the screen. She quickly puts the phone to her ear, afraid of missing the chance to talk to whoever picks up. But she commits to memory just another one of the things she needs to talk to Nixie about when she finds a minute.

Because there are a lot of numbers that Nixie has. Everyone knows that. But the fact that Eichen House is Nixie's number one speed dial… that was not something that Lydia could overlook. Not forever, anyways.

As they walk down the hall later, heading to go have lunch with the others, Lydia says, "They said that Meredith can't have visitors without permission from a family member." Malia comments bluntly, "That's not going to be easy since her whole family is dead." Lydia gives her a look and says, "Perfect."

As Malia suggests going back to the art or music room, Lydia turns to her and snaps, "I'm not plucking piano strings for two hours, waiting on some supernatural inspiration?" Malia simply shrugs and asks, "Fine. What else do banshees do?" "You think I know?!" Malia shrugs again, and honestly looks like she's about to say something else. Except Nixie gives her a look that clearly tells her to shut up. Lydia comes up to Malia and says, "I can't just turn this on. I'm not like you guys. I don't have claws or glowing eyes, or super senses. I just have voices in my head!"

Malia doesn't say anything, but she does glance around to see some of the other students looking at them in the hall. She also notes with surprise, that they all suddenly start turning sharply away, as though avoiding looking at them was suddenly their top priority.

And when Malia looks back to Lydia, Nixie is right next to her, an arm wrapped around her. And sharp blue eyes, cold as steel, are glaring at everyone that dares to glance their way as they walk past. Squeezing Lydia gently, Nixie says, "Take it easy." "But I…" She squeezes Lydia firmly, and then says softly, "This is just a bump in the road. We'll just have to come up with a new angle to work with. In the meantime, let's get some food and see if anyone else has had any better luck today."

Kissing the side of Lydia's head, Nixie adds, "Just breathe. We'll figure this out."

Lydia nods after a moment, and then begins leading the way to the cafeteria. Malia makes to follow, but then jerks in surprise when Nixie slaps her in the back of the head. Turning to her, Malia says, "Owe. What…" But Nixie just points to her and says, "I get that 'people skills' are still not something you possess in great capacity. We all know that. But if you continue to stress out my best friend because you're worried about being on this damn list, then I will find a way to have you declawed."

Gentling her gaze, Nixie says, "Until we have the whole list, work under the assumption that you are, in fact, on it. Beyond that, be helpful. Not a nuisance. We've got enough problems without you sending Lydia into a frenzied tailspin." Malia nods in understanding, and then they hurry to follow Lydia down the hall, hoping that the others will have had better luck so far today.

Nixie had just started in on her potatoes, happy to be eating something substantial again, when Stiles flops himself into the seat next to her. Huffing, he blurts out, "He's on the lacrosse team."

Nixie and Lydia look at each other… but both also shake their heads. They don't have a clue what he's talking about yet. And when Stiles doesn't elaborate right away, Nixie nudges his arm and says, "That statement applies to several people. Two of whom are sitting at this very table. Use the rest of your words, Stiles. Explain."

He gives her a brief look, but then says, "The stab marks that were on Carrie Hudson's body? The hexagon shape that surrounded each one?" Nixie nods, and then sighs when Stiles says, "It makes the shape of the end of a lacrosse stick. So someone has daggers hidden up lacrosse sticks." Nodding again, Nixie says, "Great." "Exactly."

Scott then leans forward from his seat in between Kira and Lydia, "Which means we need to try and keep Liam off the field, if that's possible." They all nod in agreement, but then both boys look to Nixie when she scoffs, "Fat chance of making it happen though."

When she finds everyone now looking at her, she leans back and asks, "What?" Raising an eyebrow, Scott asks, "Why won't we be able to bench him?" "Because Coach is definitely going to want him to play tonight. And Liam isn't going to want to sit out on this game." When Scott and Stiles still look confused, Nixie asks, "You guys do know who you're playing, right?" Stiles turns to her and says, "We've been a little preoccupied trying to determine who the latest assassin is. So, please enlighten us, oh brilliant one."

Now Nixie gives him a look, but then explains, "You're playing Devenford Prep. Liam's old school. And you know they have to still be pissed about what he did to that teacher's car last year."

Everyone nods to that, and then Scott and Stiles go about trying to figure out how to get Liam benched. Stiles then looks over at Lydia and starts to ask, "So, how is it coming with…"

He pauses when Nixie grips his wrist gently on the table. Shaking her head, she says, "We are not talking about that right now. Currently, it is a forbidden topic of conversation. We will come back to it later, with a fresher perspective and brighter spirits. Until then, all talk about ciphers and key words is banned from all conversation."

Lydia grins over at Nixie, appreciating the space she's created for her. Lydia really did need to just take her mind off of it for a while. Perhaps something would occur to her without her even realizing it.

Which is why Nixie had already appointed herself to 'Lydia duty'. Because if Lydia was going to figure something out unconsciously, someone needed to be around to witness it so they didn't have to waste time figuring it out later.

Stiles smiles at Nixie too, seeing that she'll be taking care of Lydia, in spite of the very real threat of assassins on the lacrosse field. Besides, just because they knew a lacrosse player was an assassin, it didn't mean that they were the only assassin. Plus, Lydia was on the list, so someone definitely needed to watch her.

Then Stiles asks, "By the way, my dad didn't give me many details about what happened at the school last Friday. Just that there was a bomb?" Nixie nods and says, "Yeah. To recap, your dad and Derek went there, found the bomb, and then found the mute. Derek kept your dad safe. Peter showed up and killed the mute; being the complete dumbass that he is."

Everyone chuckles at that, and then Nixie says, "And then Jordan was called in to dismantle the bomb. And nobody blew up, so I'd call it a success." She returns to eating her food… until Scott asks, "Jordan?"

He and Stiles looked at each other with a nod, and then Nixie lifts her head and says, "Yeah. That's his name." Scott nods, but adds, "Yeah, but you usually call him Parrish." "And I have recently grown tired of doing that. So now I'm calling him Jordan."

She shovels in another mouthful of food, but pauses again when Kira says, "But… you've liked him the best at the station the whole time, and you still called him Parrish to begin with. Now you're calling him Jordan? What changed?" "Nothing. Calling him Parrish never felt right. I just… thought I was supposed to. But he apparently doesn't care either way, so it doesn't matter."

When Nixie looks up again, she finds all eyes on her once more. Sighing, she swallows down the food in her mouth, and then throws out her hands and asks, "What?" Stiles shrugs and asks, "What do you mean 'what'?" She gives him a look, "Every single one of you is giving me the exact same look, and I don't have a damn clue what it means. So somebody just spit it out. What's going on? What did I miss?"

Everyone looks around at each other for a bit, and then Lydia leans forward, closer to Nixie across the table. "Nixie… why didn't you start calling him by his first name to begin with?" "I already told you. I thought I was…" But Lydia waves that explanation away and says, "You're supposed to call Noah by his title, Sheriff. But you've never done that either, no matter what anyone has ever said about it. So… why did you call Jordan by his last name to start with, if you already liked him enough to use his first name?"

Nixie stares at her for a bit, and then ducks her head down a bit before saying, "Because it makes no sense." "What doesn't?" "Me… liking him this much already. We barely know him. So… that's why. Satisfied?" Lydia tilts her head and asks, "How much do you like him? The same as Stiles and Scott?" "No." "Same as Noah and Melissa?" "No." "Same as Derek?" "No."

Raising an eyebrow, Stiles asks, "Then how would you compare it, because…" Huffing a running a hand through her hair, Nixie says, "I don't know, alright. I don't like him the same way I have ever liked anybody else. It's… it's…" She struggles to find the word to explain it, and then settles on, "More. It's more. And I don't know why."

Everyone looks at each other again, and then Lydia says simply back to her, "You like him." "We already established that." Lydia smiles gently and says, "No, Nixie. I don't mean you just 'like' him. I mean that you like him. As in you want him to be more than just a friend. You want him to be more like… like what Scott and Kira have, or what Malia and Stiles have. You want him like that. You 'like' him, like that."

Shrugging, Lydia decides to downplay it slightly for now, and says, "You have a crush on him."

Nixie stares at her across the table, and then says, "That… no… that's not…" "Have you ever had a crush on anyone before?" "Well, no, but…" "Then it actually makes sense for you to be so confused about it. You've never felt this way for anyone before, so you didn't recognize it." Then Lydia grins and says, "That's what you have me for. I saw it right off."

Snapping her eyes back to Lydia, Nixie asks, "First of all, I'm not stupid. I know what a crush is and I'd know if I felt that way, at least. But second, and more importantly, why are you just explaining this to me now if you saw it right off?" "Because I wanted to see more of it before I confirmed it officially. And I have. So there you have it." And to the first part of Nixie's statement, Lydia gives her a look that clearly says 'we'll talk later'. Nixie nods to that, and then says. "Great. Now, can we move on?" Stiles gives her a look and says, "No. This is kind of a revelation for everybody, not just you." "Why?!"

Kira is the one who shrugs and says, "Because you don't date anybody. You don't chase after anybody. You just… you're the only one who never has. I'm the newest one in this group, and even I've picked up on that." "Okay, but do we seriously have to discuss this right now?" Lydia leans forward and says, "Jordan is nice, Nixie. And of all the people you could've started to fall for, he's already as close to our circle of supernatural happenings, then anyone else ever has been. Well, aside from Danny, and he doesn't count in this scenario." Kira then adds, "Which means… well, there's a lot of potential there for something to happen. Between you and him, I mean. And I think we'd all find it… well, kind of great and wonderful; if you could find somebody like that to be with."

Nixie stares around at all of them for a moment, and then says, "Not that I don't appreciate all of you being so attentive to my love-life… or the non-existence of it. But seriously?! We have a dead pool to worry about people! A dead pool! And we're choosing now to concern ourselves with who I might end up dating! Which, can't happen anyways, because he's, like, twenty-four, and I'm barely seventeen now! And on another side note, just FYI, the whole reason I have not dated at all in high school would be because every single time we turn around, shit starts hitting the fan all over again in this town!"

Lydia would argue further at this point; about how they couldn't stop living their lives and thinking about these things, just because shit kept hitting the fan. But Scott speaks up first and says, "Guys… she has a point. We seriously have more important things to worry about right now." Gesturing to Nixie, he adds, "Besides, she can take care of herself, as we've all seen. And if she decides to approach him with this, and he turns her down… well, then we'll pull out all the stops and make sure we hurt him for being such a damn idiot."

Everyone laughs at that, including Nixie. Then they hear the bell from inside ring, so they begin packing up their stuff to head to class.

It's as she's walking towards the building, when Lydia snatches Nixie's wrist and gently tugs her away from everyone else. Staying silent, Nixie lets Lydia lead her all the way to the parking lot and out to her car.

At the trunk, where Lydia begins trading out a few more books for another of their classes later, Nixie waits to see what she wants. Lydia stays silent for a few more seconds, and then asks, "You think they can still hear us?" Blinking in surprise, Nixie says, "Probably not. Scott could if he were trying… but I doubt he is. What's up, Lydia? You have something else to say about Jordan?" "Later. Right now, can I see your jacket?"

Nixie nods and hands it over, not entirely sure what's going on. But as soon as Lydia begins pointing out all the patchwork, Nixie sighs. Lydia looks up at her and asks, "You gonna tell me what happened? Better yet, you wanna show me?" Giving Lydia a look, Nixie says, "We have more important things to…" "Oh, bullshit! Nixie… you were hurt! Maybe you still are hurt! I don't know how old these are or how they happened! But I know you were wearing this when it happened and that means you were in pain at one point. And you didn't tell anybody about it!"

They stare at each other for a moment, and then Nixie asks gently, "What do you want to know?" "Why didn't you tell anyone?" "Because we have more important things to worry about than a few of my minor injuries. If I'd thought it was so severe that I was going to risk dying, I would've told someone. But it wasn't, so I didn't." "Nixie, you should've told us after. I could've…" "There was no point afterwards. By that time, they'd healed over and there was no sense in worrying anyone about it."

They stay silent for a moment more, and then Lydia asks softly, "And no one… no one at all… has any idea? Not Deaton or…" Nixie pauses on that one, and then admits gently, "Alison did." "How?" Grinning a little, Nixie says, "Because she had no sense of personal space. She walked in on me trying to patch myself up in the bathroom. Then she made it so I couldn't avoid telling her."

Lydia stares at her, and then says firmly, "Then you have to tell me from now on." "Lydia, I…" "Nixie, please! You… you do so much for me. And you've put up with a lot from me the past few years. It's… it's the least I can do. So just… so just tell me from now on. Please?"

Nixie ponders it a moment, and then sighs and says, "Fine. But I reserve the right to only tell you when I don't think we're in the middle of a crisis." "I'll take it for now."

They both grin, and then Nixie asks, "Anything else?" "Show me the worst one. Just… I want to see the worst you've had to deal with. Please?" Nixie ponders that one for a long moment. She could just show Lydia one of the smaller ones. Like the one on her hip, or at the back of her shoulder. But… if Lydia was going to demand to see them all at some point anyway… then she'd realize that Nixie had lied this time about what her worst was.

With that in mind, Nixie tentatively lifts up her shirt to reveal the scar on her stomach. The ugly curving wound that Peter had carved into her after she'd bashed his head in with a crowbar.

Lydia's eyes widen in horror at the sight of it. This wound had come before the jacket, so there had been no patchwork that could've prepared her to see this. Hand snapping up to cover her mouth, Lydia asks, "What happened? Who did that to you?" "Peter, back when he was an alpha. He offered to turn me, I refused… this ended up being the price."

Lydia stares a moment more, and then looks up to meet Nixie's gaze. Coming closer, wrapping her arms around Nixie, Lydia says, "If you want, we can go kill him right now. I'll help you. We can stuff him in the trunk and dump him outside of town. No one would even miss him."

Nixie laughs and hugs Lydia in return. Sighing, she says, "I appreciate it. Maybe after we've solved the dead pool, I'll take you up on it."

She slips her coat back on, and as they're heading back towards the school, Lydia says, "And I know that you are smart enough to know what a crush feels like. I just said it that way so Scott and Stiles wouldn't make such a big deal out of it." "Well, then I appreciate that. But this isn't a crush. So, my brilliant friend, what exactly would you call it?" Lydia grins, and then simply says, "You're falling in love with him. Maybe already are. That's what it is." "Love? That's a bit of a jump. We still barely know anything about him." But Lydia counters, "You know he's brave. You know he's patient and kind. You know he's a good person with a moral compass that agrees quite well with your own. And he's one of the only people I've ever seen who isn't afraid to argue his point with you." "You say that like it's a good thing." "Oh, come on, Nixie. You'd never be happy with a man who simply rolled over or ran to hide in a corner every time you glared at him. And Jordan only really ever argues when he thinks what you want to do might put you in danger. Other than that, he's rather agreeable."

Nixie takes a moment to think about that, and then says, "So… I'm falling in love with him?" Lydia nods, and then Nixie sighs and adds, "Great." "Why's that so bad?" "He's older than me." "Age doesn't matter when it comes to the heart, Nixie." Nixie grins over at Lydia, and then says, "Also he's… well, he's kind of wonderful. He's all around wonderful. And dragging him into the supernatural mess that happens to take up all of our time… well, it seems rather not wonderful."

Lydia ponders that, and then says, "I'm still just calling that an excuse. It's a good one, I admit… but just an excuse, regardless." Nixie laughs, and then sighs and says, "Look… I like him. A lot. And he… he makes me blush a lot, and he honestly makes me laugh more than I thought possible. And he… makes me feel safe… even if there isn't really anything wrong at the moment."

Lydia is smiling at all of this, but then frowns when Nixie says, "But he'd never feel the same about me." "And why shouldn't he? You're wonderful too." "I'm wonderful to you guys. I'm sure I'm more of a pain to him. And aside from that, even if there was a remote chance of him feeling something for me… he'd take one look at me beneath all of these clothes and run for the hills."

At Lydia's frown, Nixie says, "I showed you the worst one. I didn't show you all. And he would run from me." "You don't know that. And you should give him more credit. Or at least, give him a chance."

But Lydia can see the worried look on Nixie's face. She really was falling very hard and fast for Jordan Parrish. And in that respect, it also terrified her to think that he might run if he knew all of what she'd willingly gone through to try and protect her friends. She was not ashamed of her scars, not by any means. They were all marks of her bravery and loyalty, and she was proud.

Didn't mean she wouldn't still be hurt if he looked at them and ran for the hills.

Sighing, Nixie asks, "Can we just… drop it for now? Please?" Lydia nods, and then slips her arm through Nixie's. Walking side by side, Lydia asks, "You think we should try the music room next?" "I'm gonna leave that up to you. Wherever you feel like going is where we will go. I'm not an expert on banshee. I have no idea what place would be most helpful to you at this point." Lydia nods and says, "I really wish we could just talk to Meredith." "Yeah. You and me both."

Lydia ponders for a moment, about asking Nixie why Eichen House was number one on her speed dial… but she decides it can wait. She'd already pestered Nixie about far more than she knows Nixie ever wanted to share. So she'll get to that one later.

It's just before the lacrosse game has begun, and Nixie is about to head up to sit with Lydia and Malia. They hadn't had any other luck with the cipher keys yet, and Nixie had decided that the lacrosse game would be another break for Lydia. Sure… they would also be watching their friends to make sure this kid named Garrett didn't kill them. If Liam was right about it being him. But still… it was a break from ciphers, so that was good.

That is, of course, also when her phone decides to ring.

Meanwhile, about an hour prior to this call, Jordan had been out on a routine patrol. That's when he spotted a figure in dark sweatpants and sweatshirt walking down the road. And he may not have thought anything else of it… except he remembered her as being the young woman he'd had to escort back to Eichen House after she'd broken out some time last year.

He also remembers that, though no one had really said anything about it, Nixie and her friends had kept Meredith from being found as quickly as she should've been.

Given all that, he'd pulled over and stepped out of the car. Walking up to her easily, he'd asked, "Meredith? Do you…" He was about to ask if she needed help getting back to Eichen… but then thought better of it. Besides, something was telling him that this wasn't a coincidence. He'd bet all the money he had that, if he took Meredith down to the station, Nixie and maybe a few others would show up immediately after to talk to her.

And given the mouthless assassin that he'd seen them dealing with before, and the school bomb that he'd had to disarm… maybe they really did need to talk to her… whether it was technically legal for Meredith to be here or not.

So instead, he asked, "Do you need a lift somewhere?" Meredith had looked up at him and then said, "I'm going to the high school." Nodding, Jordan asked, "Beacon High?" When Meredith nodded in confirmation, Jordan added on, "Why are you going there?" "I need to speak with Lydia Martin?"

And Jordan could add Lydia to the list of people he was certain would be showing up at the station soon. Nodding again, Jordan pulled open the door for the backseat of the cruiser and said, "Here. Why don't you let me give you a lift to the station? I'm sure the sheriff can arrange something for you. And then maybe we can figure out how you keep breaking out of Eichen House." "Not hard."

He couldn't help chuckling at her at the time, and once she was settled in, he drove hurriedly to the station. If they really needed to talk to this girl, then he was running out of time to catch the sheriff. Jordan knew he was planning on attending the lacrosse game this evening.

He arrived just in time. Noah was literally preparing to slip on his jacket and rush out the door, when Jordan caught him. "Sheriff. Look, I know you're in a hurry, but I was out on patrol and I found someone walking from the coast to the high school."

Noah took a moment to think about that, and then said in bewilderment, "That's gotta be at least fifteen miles." "Yeah, well… she was pretty determined." And as Jordan nodded over at Meredith, she looked up at the sheriff and said, "I'm looking for Lydia."

Which is when Noah, after taking sometime to make sure no one else was going to do anything to Meredith for a while, called up Nixie. "What's up, Noah?" "Hey Nixie. Is Lydia with you?" "Yeah, why? And where are you? The game's about to start." "I know. And I'm probably going to have to miss this one. I need you to get Lydia down here. And you too. I know you don't like Lydia doing her… well, banshee stuff, on her own."

Frowning, Nixie asks, "Why? What's wrong? Who's dying? Is…" "Nixie, relax. No one is dying. Well, yet anyway. Meredith is here. And she's looking for Lydia." Nixie leans back in surprise, and then makes a thoughtful noise in the back of her throat before saying, "Well, how do you like that? The day's looking up. We'll be there soon."

Hanging up, she says, "Malia." From where she was sitting next to Lydia, Malia glances down to where Nixie is, showing that she'd heard her. Nodding, Nixie says, "Get Lydia down here. We're heading to the station."

When they catch up to her at Lydia's car and Nixie's bike, Lydia asks, "What's going on?" "Meredith is at the station. Noah says she just… showed up looking for you." Lydia smiles wide in relief, and Nixie grins before saying, "So, let's go. Malia, hop on." And after they get situated, they take off down the road for the station, Lydia maintaining a fast pace behind Nixie as they speed down the road.

And though Malia still had a lot to learn about living in the human society, Nixie would give her this much. The girl never complained about Nixie's driving.

When they arrive at the station, Jordan looks up from his desk and glances out the window of the door. The revving of her bike engine was a dead giveaway that it was Nixie. He watches as she and another girl, he thinks her name is Malia, hop off her bike while Lydia pulls up in her car beside where they parked.

Grinning to himself, he says softly, "Figured." And not two seconds later, all three walk into the station looking for Noah.

While they're waiting, Nixie looks over to see Jordan at his desk. And when he looks up to meet her gaze, he raises an eyebrow and says, "It's funny how, not even a whole hour ago, I find an escaped patient from Eichen House… and then you suddenly show up." Nixie grins, "What? Are you surprised to see me?"

Jordan chuckles and says, "No. I called it the moment I saw her walking up the road. I'm just saying… it's quite curious." Nixie doesn't argue that point, but then comes a little closer, ignoring Lydia and Malia's gazes. At the front of his desk, she asks, "You found her?" Jordan nods, "Walking from the coast to the high school." Tilting her head, Nixie asks, "And… you brought her here?"

Pausing in his work, sensing her confusion on that point, Jordan looks up and says, "Yes." She bites her lip now, pondering how to ask him why he would do that without… well, without seeming to offend him with the question. She doesn't want him to think that she would've rather him just taken Meredith back to Eichen… which is maybe what he should've done.

Jordan leans a little closer and says, "She… seemed to really want to talk to Lydia. And given everything that's going on…" He gives her a look and says, "I'm not stupid. Figured it'd be more helpful to bring her here for the moment." Nixie stares at him for a while, a gentle smile spreading over her face as she does. Then she says softly, "Thank you, Jordan." And he smiles back and says, "Anytime, Nixie." "And… just FYI… I know you're not stupid."

Chuckling, Jordan says, "Since I'm your favorite deputy here, I kind of figured that. Nice to have it confirmed though." She blushes, but doesn't deny that he's her favorite deputy.

A deputy she was falling for, apparently. Lord, she needs help.

Then Noah finally walks back into the room. Pulling all three of the girls aside, he whispers to them gently for a moment. Jordan takes this opportunity to go to the lounge room for a moment to grab another cup of coffee.

And… well, let's face it. If Nixie's in the building, he always finds himself making two cups of coffee instead of one.

Noah, back with the girls, says, "Now… I'm aware this is probably about the dead pool, but I can't let her leave the station. And, in about a minute, I'm gonna have to call Eichen House and let them know that she's here. If Parrish weren't so agreeable to the situation, I'd have probably been forced to call it in sooner."

Nixie smiles to herself, seeing that Jordan was going out of his way to try and make it possible for them to talk to Meredith… since that was apparently what needed to happen. Whether he understood it completely or not; Jordan was aware that their involvement in these stranger cases, eventually led to them being solved with as few casualties as possible. That's not to say there weren't casualties… but they did try to keep it at a minimum, if possible.

Lydia nods in response to Noah's words, and then says, "Give us an hour." He looks at her like she's lost her mind, and says, "You've got fifteen minutes." Nixie pats Lydia on the back and says, "Nice try though. 'A' for effort." Lydia grins, and then she and Malia head into the room first.

Nixie is following, but pauses in the doorway when Jordan comes back up to them.

He was at war with himself, at this point. He knew that they needed to talk to Meredith. For whatever that reason was… he knew it. But… he still had a limit to what he was willing to let go without being given some sort of explanation. Or, at the very least, being given a sign that his cooperating with all of this, when they were giving him so little information, wasn't going unnoticed.

Plus, harmless as she looked, Meredith was still a patient from Eichen House. Who was to really say how dangerous she might truly be? And he was not comfortable with Nixie being in there with her. Sure, Noah would be in there too, but…

Well, he couldn't help it. He'd feel better if he knew that he'd be there to make sure nothing happened to her. And yeah, to make sure nothing happened to Lydia and Malia either. But since Jordan is pretty sure Nixie plans on having them covered herself… he'll keep his eye on her.

With all that in mind, Jordan walks up to Noah and asks, "You called Lydia?" Noah turns back to him and says, "Uh… yeah." Jordan doesn't miss Nixie raising an eyebrow at him. It was a question Jordan didn't really need to ask. He'd known, as soon as he brought Meredith in, that Noah would be calling Nixie and Lydia, both.

He simply gave her a glance in return to her raised eyebrow, and then says to Noah, "Because Meredith asked for her, or because of the other thing?" Noah leans back in surprise, and then asks cautiously, "What other thing?"

And Jordan truly doesn't know what else to call it at this point. He glances around to make sure no one else is listening to him, and then answers quietly, "The psychic thing." Noah stares at him for a beat, relieved that he didn't say banshee, but also stunned by this other conclusion. Then he asks, "You think Lydia's psychic?"

Countering Noah's question with his own, Jordan narrows his eyes and asks, "Do you?" Noah crosses his arms and says, "No, I do not. I think that she is… um… intuitive."

And Jordan can't help it. He gives Noah a look that seems to scream, 'you're an idiot', and then says plainly, "That's what they used to call psychics. Intuitionists."

Noah would've probably argued with him more, except that he heard Nixie laughing from behind him. Turning to look at her, he asks, "And what is so funny?" She shrugs helplessly and says, "I have no idea. But he's not wrong." Noah gives her a look, and then darts his eyes back to Jordan before looking at Nixie again. The silent question now hung in the air. Was Nixie alright with letting Jordan in again? Did she trust him that much?

And it must've spoken volumes when Nixie nodded immediately in response, because Noah leans back in surprise. And Jordan feels honored, beyond words, that Nixie apparently has that much faith in him. So much so that it actually shocks everyone else when she decides to include him in what their currently doing.

Noah stares at her a moment more, and then Nixie says, "We're down to fourteen minutes. We don't have time to waste." And though she blushes when she adds it, she says firmly, "We can trust him. So get him in here and shut the door. And be snappy about it, please." Jordan chuckles slightly at her, and Noah looks at him now to give him a look. Then he sighs and says, "And I used to call myself a rational human being. Just get in here and shut the door."

As Jordan walks in, Lydia raises an eyebrow at Nixie, a knowing smirk on her face. Nixie simply narrows her eyes in a silent threat, daring Lydia to say anything. Then she nods towards Meredith and says, "We're short on time. Let's go."

While Lydia stands before Meredith, handing over her phone; Nixie moves to stand near Noah's desk. Jordan moves silently to stand to her right, and watches all of them for a moment. Lydia and Malia were focused on Meredith, on getting her to talk to them. Noah was focused on Meredith as well, seeing if she would cooperate.

Nixie, on the other hand, was keeping her eyes on the entirety of the situation. From her position, she could see the doors, Meredith, both Lydia and Malia, and from the side of her eye, she could see Noah as well.

She was guarding them… as Jordan suspects she was always trying to do in situations like this.

Nixie was watching them closely, hoping that Meredith would be able to help them. That's when she felt a gentle bump against her shoulder. Glancing at Jordan, she then looks down to see the coffee cup he's holding out to her. The smile that slips onto her face when she sees it is completely worth it. Taking a sip, she sighs as she soaks it in, and then whispers for him to hear, "You have probably saved some poor, annoying kid's life, in the near future. You should be proud."

He grins over at her, and then nods his approval before joining her in looking at Meredith again.

After another moment of nothing with the phone, Lydia asks, "Meredith, aren't you going to answer it?" Meredith smiles sweetly at all of them, but Nixie still has to pinch the bridge of her nose when Meredith says, "It's not ringing."

Nixie reminds herself that she was not the one allowed to get frustrated right now. Lydia's smile had already tightened as she tried to maintain patience. Nixie had far more patience to expend, and she knew she'd need to if they all wanted to get through this without losing their heads. And for Lydia, it was more than just not having the answer they needed. Meredith was the only other banshee they knew… the only other person that had the same gifts as Lydia.

And Meredith was institutionalized… seen as insane and out of her mind. And yeah… maybe Meredith wasn't, exactly, all there. But she was far from insane; and she'd still been put there.

But Lydia didn't need to worry about that ever happening to her. Nixie would create a mass grave for all the people she'd go through, in order to make sure no one ever dared put her in a place like that. Lydia was not crazy. She was not insane. And Nixie… well, she would be the one to know.

Nixie knows what insane looks like. Her mother, when in the grips of an episode, was insane. Meredith didn't even come close. Meredith was still herself, and still rather smart, in her own way. And that's where the patience came in. Meredith would help… but you had to work for it. You had to read between the lines of what she was telling you, and go from there.

Pacing for a moment, Lydia then bends down in front of Meredith and says, "Meredith… you came here to help us. Remember?" Meredith smiles again and says, "You called me." Tilting her head, Lydia asks, "What do you mean I called you?" "I heard you."

Lydia just stares at her for a moment, and then glances back at Nixie. But Nixie just shrugs in confusion as well, before taking another sip of her coffee. Jordan watches her eyebrows come together as she tries to decipher how Meredith could've possibly heard Lydia. Then he hears her mutter, "We're running out of time. Shit."

Nixie jumps slightly when Jordan takes her free hand and lifts it. He places his coffee cup in her grip, and then steps forward slightly and asks gently, "Meredith, can I ask you a question?" Meredith glances from him to Nixie briefly, and then looks back to him and nods with a smile. Lydia stands up straight and is about to protest his involvement, but Nixie shakes her head so Lydia doesn't interfere. It's not like they were getting anywhere with Meredith. What could it hurt to let Jordan try?"

Bending down to Meredith's level, he asks, "When you need help… when you need to find something, is there someone you reach out to? Maybe someone you call?" He tilts his head enough so he can glance back at Nixie. She grins at him slightly before darting her eyes back to Meredith, who answers, "It depends. Different people for different things."

Nixie raises an eyebrow at that, and then glances at Lydia to see if she understands. But Lydia is just looking at Jordan and Meredith as though they're aliens from another planet right now. But… you know, in a good way. Good aliens.

As though to emphasize that, Lydia turns to Nixie. Pointing down at Jordan, who isn't looking at them right now, she then gives Nixie a thumb's up, as though approving of the man that Nixie's heart is apparently set on.

And as Noah glances between all of them, Nixie can't help but to think, "Great. Just what I need. Noah freaking out about me falling in love with an older man while I'm still a minor. Just freaking great."

Back to Meredith, Jordan asks, "So, maybe there's a number that can help us? Someone we can call?" Meredith thinks on that for a moment, and then says, "Yes."

Lydia and Nixie look at each other again, both grinning at the sudden progress they're managing to make after a day of nothing. Jordan then asks, "Would you be okay telling us?" "Yes." As Lydia takes her phone back, preparing to type in the digits, Meredith says, "It's two… four… three… six."

They wait for more, but when Lydia looks back up from her phone, Meredith is clearly finished. She's smiling even, like she's just been the biggest help she possibly could be. Frowning, Malia says, "Mer, we need a few more numbers." But Meredith simply shakes her head and says, "No. That's the number." Malia counters, "Phone numbers are ten digits." "That's the number."

Nodding to herself, Nixie says, "Alright. So let's…" But Lydia closes her eyes in aggravation before snapping, "Meredith, phone numbers always have ten digits." Meredith, growing a bit worried and agitated now, says again, "That's the number." "Meredith…"

As Noah pulls Lydia back, Nixie frowns as she continues looking at Meredith, who has begun fiddling frantically with her fingers and the ends of her sleeves. Nixie might not know very much about Meredith… but it didn't take a genius to know that this was a first sign to the banshee entering a full on panic mode. And a panicked banshee was not a problem they needed added to their list right now.

Taking a step closer herself, she hears Noah tell Lydia, "I think that's the best we're gonna get." But Lydia shakes her head and says, "No. No, there has to be more." Turning back to Meredith, even Nixie jumps a little when Lydia demands, "What's the rest of it, Meredith? Hmm? Just concentrate!"

Meredith's entire body begins twitching as she says, "But that's… that's… that's the number." Moving closer, trying to get between them, Nixie says, "Lydia, she's…" But Lydia is past listening. All weekend at the lake house and all day today, they'd gotten nothing. And now, they still weren't any closer. So Lydia simply shouts, "Concentrate!"

Jordan had been moving to maybe grab Meredith if need be. The poor girl looked like she was about to have a break down. But everyone snapped their attention to Nixie and Lydia when they all heard the loud smack come from their direction.

Lydia's eyes widen as she touches the back of her head. Looking to Nixie, she says, "You… you just… You've almost never…" Nixie gives her a look and says, "You're the smart one, which means you usually don't do anything stupid enough to make me feel like I need to smack you in the head. But make no mistake… just because it's rare doesn't mean it can't happen."

They stare at each other for a moment, and then Lydia says desperately, "All day… all day we've…" Nixie nods and says, "And all weekend. I know." Putting a hand on Lydia's shoulder, Nixie says, "Take a breath for me." She does, and then Nixie says, "Now look at her."

Lydia looks down at Meredith, who is sitting there shaking, rocking back and forth, her expression becoming more panicked by the second. Back to Nixie, sorrow in her eyes, Lydia says, "I… I didn't…" Nixie nods again, and then cups Lydia's neck on either side with her hands. "Lydia, I know. I know how frustrating this is. And I know that how her mind works, how she gives us stuff… it doesn't make it any easier."

Smiling gently, Nixie says, "But she is trying to help. In her own way. And that's how we have to let her. This is what we have now, which is more than we had before. So take it and run with it. Figure it out." "How?" Nixie raises an eyebrow and says, "You are, literally, the smartest person on the planet. At least, that's my opinion. If anyone is going to figure it out, it's going to be you." "And what if I can't? What if my brain is fried for today?"

Shrugging, Nixie says, "Then we'll figure it out tomorrow." "But…" "If you can't figure it out within the next hour, I'm drugging you with Nyquil and letting you sleep in the back of the car. You're no good to anyone if you can't think straight." Lydia smiles a little and asks, "Sarcasm? Really?" "I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm as serious as I could possibly be."

She winks though, and then turns back to watch Noah try and escort Meredith from the room. But before he can, Meredith jumps up and shouts, "That's the number!"

The banshee looks ready to lash out at the next person who tries to touch her, so Malia says, "Nix." Nixie looks over at her, and Malia says, "Just… do what you do. You know. Hug her or whatever." "Right. Because all my talents can be boiled down to hugs and head slaps."

But Nixie does move closer to Meredith, who seems to relax upon her movement. Jordan takes a step closer, wary of what might happen. But all Meredith does is step into the circle of Nixie's arms. Sighing and sniffling a little, she curls herself around Nixie's body and says, "That's the number." "I know Mer. Thank you so much for coming to help us. We'll run with it from here. You did good. So good. Understand?"

Meredith nods, and then eventually steps back from Nixie, back to her normal self again. Which… you know, isn't exactly normal. But hey… who is Nixie to judge?

As Noah makes to escort Meredith out of the office, Meredith takes hold of Nixie's hand and tugs her gently. Nixie raises an eyebrow, but then shrugs. Turning back to Lydia, she says, "I'll be back." And then she walks with Meredith out of the office to sit on the couch near the door.

Jordan stares after them until he hears Noah sigh and say, "I will never understand how she does that." Lydia nods in agreement, but says, "But we will always be grateful for it." They all nod at that, but then turn to Jordan when he asks, "What just happened? I don't get it. I mean, what did she…" Malia answers bluntly, "Nixie just has a way about her. It's like she can literally push all the worry and stress out of you with a hug. Maybe not forever, but at least for a while. She just, doesn't allow it to stay."

And Jordan can't help but grin when Noah adds, "She's stubborn that way." He nods in agreement, and then steps up to the door and says, "I'll be back at my desk if you need anything." As he prepares to step out, he pauses when Lydia says, "Jordan." He turns back to her, and she says, "Thank you. For talking to Meredith, I mean. And… for getting Nixie the coffee." Nodding, he says, "You're welcome."

As soon as he's gone, Malia comments, "He says 'Anytime, Nixie' when she thanks him. I was listening earlier, and her heart started beating faster when he said it. Like it means something special to her." Smiling, Lydia says, "And did you see the way they were talking earlier and smiling at each other? He's just as taken with her as she is with him."

Noah stares at the two of them for a moment, and then shakes his head and says, "I can't believe I'm hearing this right now." Lydia looks at him and says, "Oh, come on Noah. Jordan is one of the best people around. He's perfect for…" "No, I don't want to hear another word. You want to plot pairing together my best deputy and my honorary daughter, then do it while I'm not in the room. I'm the sheriff for Pete's sake. I can't be a part of that."

Malia and Lydia shrug, but drop the subject for now.

Outside in the rest of the station, Jordan sits at his desk, keeping a keen eye on Meredith and Nixie, who are sitting on the couch to his left. Nixie is holding Meredith in a light hug, and Meredith is snuggled against her, quite content with the world now. The only thing that breaks the silence between them is if Nixie asks if Meredith is hunger or thirsty, or about her trip from Eichen.

When the people from Eichen finally come to take her away, Meredith gives Nixie one final hug. As she's leaning back from Nixie, she whispers in her ear, "Hang on to the nice policeman. He's very good for you."

Jordan is quite certain he wasn't supposed to hear that. And judging from the shade of red that spreads across Nixie's cheeks… well, she's not going to necessarily be happy if he did. So for now, he keeps his head down, focused on his work.

As soon as Meredith is out, Nixie glances in Jordan's direction. And when she sees him studiously working, highlighting more lines in his reports, she breathes a sigh of relief. But before she heads back into Noah's office… she pauses and stares down at the reports Jordan's working on highlighting.

With the orange highlighter again. The one he had no reason to suddenly start using all the time… except that he'd opened it for her. And now, it was the color that suddenly lit up all of his reports.

It shouldn't mean anything. In fact, Nixie tells herself that it probably doesn't. And yet, she can't completely fight back her grin as she walks back into Noah's office.

As soon as she's gone, Jordan stops hiding his smirk as well. It wasn't as if he didn't know why he favored Nixie so much. He honestly couldn't understand why other people didn't feel the same. She was beautiful, without question. Even if she didn't seem to try and dress up or wear makeup. She didn't need any of that. She dressed for comfort, for ease of movement.

But that was beside the point anyway. It was more her character that Jordan found himself taken with. Her loyalty to the people she cared about was unmatched, as far as he'd seen. And her willingness to fight for them… the ferocity she took on while doing so. It was an amazing thing to witness. And how she could go from hard and stoic; to soft and nostalgic in a split second was amazing too. It was all about what her friends and family needed. Whether it be a hug and comfort, or a swift slap to the back of the head.

She was something special. And Jordan couldn't help his attraction to her. And given the number of times Nixie's blushed in his presence… he has a feeling she might feel the same. If Meredith's statement was anything to go by, then he could be certain of it. Sure, Meredith was to be considered a bit unstable in the mental department… but Nixie and Lydia seemed to trust her. They certainly didn't treat her as though she were someone who should be at Eichen, like many other people who were there. And it certainly didn't hurt that Nixie's first reaction, wasn't to look at Meredith like she'd gone crazy or was off her rocker. No… Nixie had turned a bright shade of red, like she was embarrassed.

Like she'd been caught.

Jordan was taken with her. He was certain of that fact. But now, he felt that he could almost certainly confirm, that Nixie might be taken with him as well.

Back in Noah's office, Malia looks up at Nixie and asks, "Why is your heart racing?" Looking up at her, Nixie waves a hand at the question and says, "Not now. Focus. Do we have anything on the numbers yet?" Lydia looks up from the notebook she was writing on and says, "Actually, Malia had a really excellent thought. She suggested that it might be like algebra, and the numbers might actually be letters."

Beaming at Malia, Nixie wraps an arm around her and says, "That is so awesome of you. You know what? You can be my favorite person the rest of today, and tomorrow." "I'm honored." "As you should be." Lydia laughs at both of them while she works to figure out what the numbers might mean if they were letters.

Her smile vanishes though when she figures it out, and she whispers, "Oh God." Frowning, Nixie moves to look over her left shoulder while asking, "What? What's wrong?" Lydia glances at her, but then just pulls out her computer. Booting it up, bringing up the screen with the second piece of code on it, Lydia then types in the name she'd gotten from Meredith's numbers.

Aiden.

Sighing, Nixie mutters, "Son of a bitch." And as the names start scrolling and appearing down the screen, Nixie catches sight of the name Brett Talbot. Squinting at it, Nixie points and says, "Familiar. Why?" Lydia shrugs, but then Malia says, "That's the guy Liam walked up to today when Devenford arrived at the school. He's one of the lacrosse players on the other team." Standing up straight, Nixie says, "You might just keep on being my favorite person well into the rest of the week too."

She hurries to send a message to Stiles, giving him the next third of the list and pointing out Brett's name so he can hopefully tell Scott to keep an eye on him as well. She's about to send him a second text, demanding an update within the next fifteen minutes, if not sooner. That's when Lydia gasps and says, "Nixie. The last name. It's…"

Coming back to the computer, Nixie asks, "What? Is it Liam? Is he…" But she freezes upon seeing who it is. She hadn't really focused on the names when she'd taken the picture before. She'd been more worried about giving Stiles the information he needed as quickly as possible. But looking at it now, she honestly can't believe her eyes. Because it's not a member of their pack. It's not anyone they would've thought of as a potential next victim or target.

'Jordan Parrish' is written there. And to make matters worse, he's not even someone who would be considered small prey. He wasn't worth thousands. He was worth millions. Five million, to be exact.

Lydia is about to comment further, but Malia puts a hand on her shoulder, and then holds a finger to her lips for silence. Nodding towards Nixie, Malia simply shakes her head. And as Lydia looks up, she can see why.

Nixie understands, once and for all, that Lydia had been completely and absolutely correct. She was falling in love with Deputy Jordan Parrish. Hell, if the fear she was feeling right now was any indication, then she was already ridiculously in love with him.

She understands why she hadn't really understood it until now too. Nixie has a great deal of love in her heart. She might focus all of it on the select few that she chooses to allow into her life… but the love was there, nonetheless. And she loved her pack; her friends and family, with everything she had in her. Loving people wholeheartedly, without holding any of that love back, was not new or strange for her. In fact, for Nixie, that was simply… normal.

Which is why Jordan had created such a puzzle for her. She does love him. She loves him with nothing held back. Well… they may all be holding back some truths about the supernatural… but as far as loving him with her whole heart, she was not holding back on the inside. And in that sense, it was a normal reaction for her.

But to be in love with him. That was something else. It was something more, and that is what had made it so confusing before. But not anymore. Now she understood it perfectly.

Pity that it took her being terrified for his life to make her see that. But she sees it now, nonetheless. Nixie glances out the window at him, where he sits at his desk, working away as if nothing had changed. He didn't know he was supernatural. He certainly would've said something about it by now. At least to Scott, if no one else. Not to mention all the weird shit that happened in this town wouldn't be nearly as confusing to him, if he had any idea that he was a supernatural creature.

Nixie is determining in her own mind that she will figure this out, and kill whatever bastard is causing this, before they can get to Jordan. That's when she hears her thoughts reflected by Lydia, who touches her hand and says, "We're going to stop this, Nixie. We'll figure this out." Malia nods and says, "Stiles says you guys always do."

Nodding a bit, Nixie then glances back to the computer and says, "Send me a copy." Lydia nods, and Nixie is about to speak again, when they all jump as the door to the office opens. Lydia snaps the lid of the computer shut swiftly in response, and they all turn to see who was coming.

Low and behold, it was Jordan. Glancing at all of them, a worried look on his face, he says, "Sorry. I was just seeing if you guys were okay." Lydia nods and says, "We're fine." Nodding, Jordan fixes his gaze on Nixie. And the look he's giving her tells her that he doesn't believe that. Not for a minute.

Unbeknownst to her, he had looked up just before she'd completely looked away from him. And the look of fear in her eyes… it didn't sit well with him. He knows it probably means that whatever Meredith had given them, they'd finally figured it out. And whatever they'd found, Nixie didn't like. And given all that he'd seen of these guys… all of the things that they'd handled without being phased in the past… it didn't sit well with him to see whatever this was frightening her so.

He knows that she can see the question in his eyes, but Nixie simply turns her head away to avoid looking at him. Tilting his head, Jordan then looks to the others again before asking, "Any of you need a ride home? You look awful tired." Lydia shakes her head and says, "We'll be fine."

Jordan looks to Nixie again, and asks gently, "You sure?" Nixie casts her eyes up at him, and finally, a small smile makes its way to her face. Nodding, she says softly, "We're fine Jordan. Thanks though." Nodding, he says, "Anytime." And then he steps back out of the office.

Letting out a breath of relief, Nixie then looks down at Lydia. Putting a hand on her shoulder, Nixie squeezes gently before saying, "Go home." "But…" "No. There is nothing else we can accomplish on this front tonight. Go home. Get some sleep. We'll look at this with fresh eyes in the morning." Then, as Lydia nods and begins packing, Nixie whispers for Malia to hear, "Make sure she gets home and actually does try to fall asleep."

Malia nods subtly behind Lydia, and then they both head out the door for some much needed rest. Nixie pinches the bridge of her nose and then rubs at her eyes. She should probably try to get some sleep too; and she's about ready to leave and try to do that… when Noah bursts back into his office.

Raising an eyebrow, Nixie asks, "What's the rush?" Glancing up at her, Noah says, "Officially… Scott was attacked by a girl named Violet at the school." Nodding, Nixie braces herself and says, "Hit me with the unofficial then." "Stiles hasn't texted you?" "I'm sure he's working on it. It'll probably be a mile long text when he's finished. So… what's really going on now?"

Coming closer to her, putting a hand on her shoulder, Noah says, "Unofficially… That kid, Brett Talbot, was poisoned with a rare form of wolfsbane. Stiles and Derek are getting him to Deaton for help. And Violet did try to attack Scott… but he was able to knock her out instead. And now we're all headed down to the school to investigate and arrest her, because she was definitely the assassin taking off people's heads. And her boyfriend, Garrett? Apparently, they were a team in this, and he hasn't been found yet."

Nodding, Nixie makes to follow him, but Noah says, "Nixie, I can't fit you in the car." "But Noah!" "I know, and I'm sorry. But Scott's dad is riding with me as well, and there's isn't room. I'd bring you if I could, you know that at this point."

Finally, Nixie nods, letting Noah go ahead and leave without her. Besides, it's not like she couldn't just drive her own bike down there. Getting past all the officials after that might be a hassle, but she would get there somehow at this point. Her boy had been attacked by a freaking assassin. The asshole that got in her way to get to him was going to end up with a broken neck if he didn't move fast enough.

She was grabbing her bag and racing out of the building, when she heard a sharp shout, "Nixie!" Turning to see Jordan, she says, "I don't have…" "Get over here!" Rolling her eyes, she hurries over to the cruiser he's standing at. "Look. I don't have time to argue with you. I have to get to the school. Scott was…"

Amidst her explaining to Jordan what he already knew since he'd taken the report himself, Jordan has opened the passenger door and sat her down inside his car. Hurrying around to his side, he cranks the engine and is halfway down the road, Nixie still fidgeting and talking. That's when she finally realizes what happened. Blinking in surprise, she says, "Um… why am I in your car?" Jordan glances over at her, and then says, "Because if you're going to get in to see Scott without also sending somebody to the hospital, you need to be with a cop so you can get in to see him."

Silence for a moment, and then Nixie says, "Thank you." Jordan nods, and then adds, "He's fine, Nixie." "How do you know that?" "Stiles called his dad to talk about the incident. Scott called it in as well, and I took that call. An EMT will have to confirm it, obviously. But Scott said he was fine on the phone."

She's still fidgeting in her seat, when she feels Jordan's hand gently grip her shoulder. Squeezing gently, Jordan says, "Everything's gonna be fine, Nixie. Your boy is going to be just fine."

And though he can tell she's still worried, he can't help smiling a little when she reaches up to cover his hand with her own. Sighing a little in relief, Nixie says, "Thanks, Jordan." "Anytime, Nixie."

And while they have argued on a few occasions… he hopes that she knows he does really mean that.

Low and behold, it's Chapter 5! Yay! Chapter 6 will follow as soon as I'm able. :)