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."

And, just a reminder to everyone, that I did make some changes to the dead pool list. I also had to take one person's name out, which I will bring up again when we get to them. And I've changed some of the amounts, a I mentioned before. And if I did my math right, the total still comes out to 117 million, even with what Nixie ends up being worth. So, just be aware of that going forward.

As always, I'm sorry to interrupt you. Enjoy! :)

Chapter 6: Episode 4x6

When they finally arrive at the school, far slower than Nixie would've driven herself, she nearly leaps out of the car. And she would've sprint all the way in, and barreled through anyone in her way, if Jordan hadn't already suspected as much and raced around the car to put a restraining hand on her shoulder.

Lowering his grip to her arm, he says, "Patience." "I have plenty of that. Just not right now. I need to…" Jordan gives her a look, and then says, "If you just run up in there, charging in like a bull in a china shop, you will not get to see him." "Wanna bet?"

He does pause at that, thinking about it for a moment. Then he concedes, "No." And it warms his heart to see Nixie grin a little before laughing at him. Smiling down at her, he says, "But, for now, humor me. Let's try this the easy way first."

Tugging her gently along with him, he starts walking towards the crime scene tape that surrounds the entrance to the locker rooms. Nixie glances down at his warm hand on her skin, feeling as though her entire being was sort of warming up from his touch.

Lord help her. She needs to get a grip. Because becoming a girl who swoons over everything the man she loves does… yeah, that can't happen.

Upon reaching the scene, one of the other officers, thankfully not Haigh, holds up a hand and says, "Sorry miss. You can't…" But Jordan, being the sheriff's personal deputy, lifts up the caution tape. And as he ushers Nixie on in, he says to the other officer, "She's here with me. It's alright."

As they continue walking towards the locker room, Jordan notices Nixie glancing back behind them. Curious, he asks, "Something wrong?" "Wrong? No. Weird? Yes. Or… it's probably just me." "And what is that exactly?" She pauses for a moment, and then shrugs and says, "I'm used to arguing with people and glaring them into submission before I can get in places like this. And now, here I am. Strolling on up as if I own the place."

Chuckling, Jordan puts his hand gently on her back, between her shoulder blades. Guiding her further, he says, "See? Easy way. Much better. You may never want to go back to your old methods." "Yeah, well, don't get too cocky, mister. I have a feeling you aren't going to always be so agreeable about taking me to all the crime scenes I want to be at." Jordan shrugs and says, "Depends. I think you might be surprised."

She snaps her eyes up to his, but he just grins and then continues leading the way. Once inside the hall, Jordan spots Noah standing with some other officers. As he glances their way, Noah blinks in surprise, but then rolls his eyes and moves over to them. Looking first to Nixie, he asks, "And how did I know that you'd end up finding your way in here anyway?" Nixie shrugs, but her smile says he should've expected it, whether he was able to bring her or not. Then Noah looks up at Jordan. Raising an eyebrow, he asks, "And you let her in here?"

Jordan nods at that, though he does sigh and give her a look when Nixie says, "Oh, he did even better. He drove me here and everything as well." Noah gives Jordan a look too and asks, "So you just brought her in without even consulting me?" Finally, Jordan shrugs and asks in return, "You wouldn't have brought her in?"

Nixie has to bite back a smirk when she sees Noah trying and failing to come up with an argument to that question. Finally, realizing it doesn't matter anyway, he rolls his eyes again. Gesturing to the young woman on the bench near them, he explains, "We're trying to wake her up so we can take her into custody. Jordan, if you have any of your own salts, we'd appreciate them. Scott put her out pretty cold, so it's taking longer than usual."

And to Nixie, Noah points further down the hall and says, "Scott is that way with his dad." Nodding, Nixie hugs Noah and says, "Thanks."

Then she surprises them both, even Jordan, when she turns back and immediately hugs him as well. Sighing, she says, "Thanks, Jordan." And then she smiles at them before taking off up the hall to find Scott.

Soon as she's gone, Noah looks to Jordan and asks, "Did she even have to twist your arm to get you to bring her here?" Shrugging, Jordan says, "Not so much twist it. And in all honesty, it was her eyes more than anything that got to me this time." "Why?" "Well, because she looked like she would've been ready to murder anyone that got in her way right now."

Noah takes a moment to think about that, and then chuckles and says, "Well… thanks for trying to limit the amount of bloodshed for tonight." And then they turn their attention to the girl on the ground.

As Nixie turns a corner, heading for Scott, she pauses when she sees him and his dad talking. Rafe, kicking himself, says, "I should've been here." Scott looks up at him and then says gently, "You're here now."

Nixie watches them for a moment, letting them have some time together. They were warming up to each other, more and more, with each day. And Rafe wasn't really so bad. Sure, he'd been a pain in the ass last year, but he was really coming around now.

Then Scott takes in a deep breath, and feels a sense of safety and warmth surround him. Smiling, though it confuses his dad a bit, he then turns his head to see Nixie standing further up the hall. Rafe looks too, and then asks, "How did she get in here?" "Oh, it's best not to question her amazing ways, dad." Opening out his arm for her, he chuckles when she sprints the rest of the way down the hall, launching at him and then wrapping him in one of her tight hugs. Settling his arms around her in return, he says, "I'm fine."

Leaning back to look him over, Nixie asks, "Are you sure? Has anyone else confirmed that? Did you get checked out? What did she do to you? Do you want me to kill her?" Scott raises an eyebrow and says, "I'm fine, I promise. The EMT confirmed it. She tried to kill me, but I kicked her ass. And no, I don't want you to kill her." Frowning, Nixie huffs and says, "Fine. But I want it on record that I'm only agreeing to this because I'm exceptionally pleased that you aren't dead." "I will make a note." "Good."

Then she turns to Rafe, who is staring between both of them curiously. And Nixie knows they don't react properly to these things. Most people would be traumatized, or would at least be worried, crying, or freaking the hell out. But not Scott and Nixie. Not anyone in their pack.

But before he can question that, Nixie looks Rafe up and down and asks, "And what about you? Are you hurt?" Blinking, he says, "No. I wasn't here when it happened." Nixie nods to that, and then shrugs and says, "I'll hug you anyway." And though not quite as tightly as she'd hugged Scott, it's a firm grip nonetheless. Rafe stares at her in surprise for a second, but then pats her back gently before looking up at Scott. Back to Nixie, Rafe asks, "Is she always so…" Scott grins and says, "Yeah. Don't worry. Stick around and you eventually get used to it."

Nixie nods in affirmation, and then leans back from him. Pointing to both of them, she says, "By the way, I also want it on record that neither of you is ever allowed to die on me. Or nearly get killed. Like… ever." Scott raises an eyebrow and asks, "And you're just mentioning this now?" "I feel it's always been implied and stated in the past, but I am reaffirming it now. So… don't do it. Ever. I'll slap both of you in the head."

Scott chuckles, and then says to his dad's confused face, "Just agree with her. And don't be offended if she does slap you. It's done with love, so…"

Rafe finally grins and says, "Fine. I suppose I can make that work." Nixie grins at him and says, "Good." Then to Scott, she says in a fake whisper, "I like him. We should keep him." Scott laughs outright at that, and then they all turn their heads and frown as Violet is brought around to be escorted outside.

Jordan has her by an arm at her back, and as she struggles, she catches sight of his name tag. Pausing in her struggle, she asks, "Jordan Parrish?" Jordan glances down to her, and then says, "Deputy Parrish." Violet just smirks as they continue walking off down the hall. And Scott doesn't miss how quickly Nixie's eyes harden into a firm glare, and a scent of deep hate starts emanating from Nixie's scent, all directed towards Violet.

Scott wishes Violet could've seen the look Nixie was giving to her. They'd probably never have to worry about her again.

She switches her attention back to them though when Noah walks up. Rafe looks down at the evidence bag in his hand and asks, "Sheriff, what is that? Is that the weapon?" Noah nods, "Yeah. It's a thermo-cut wire." Which meant that Violet didn't have her weapon of choice anymore. But that didn't completely soothe Nixie's worry about Jordan being the one escorting her back to the station.

And the sudden, dawning look that enters Rafe's eyes doesn't help either. Tilting her head, she's about to ask what's up, when Rafe turns sharply and shouts, "Parrish! Hold up." Nixie makes to follow after them immediately, but upon seeing Liam working his way around the corner, she stops and waits. As soon as he gets to them, he explains, "Hey. So, Kira took off. Stiles told her about Lydia cracking the second part of the dead pool."

Scott wonder briefly why that's a sudden reason to take off. He'd been with her when Stiles had first mentioned it. What had changed since then. He's about to ask, when Nixie pulls out her phone. Holding it out so they can see the picture of the dead pool that Lydia had sent to her, they all read the names.

KATE ARGENT – 6

NOSHIKO YUKIMARA – 5

JOANNE MCLAUGHLIN – 1

STEVE GRACE – 1

TOM HILL – 1

BRETT TALBOT – 1

RICHARD BENEFIELD – 250

JACK MARSLAND – 250

JOY WALDROP – 250

CHERYL CALIX – 250

JORDAN PARRISH – 5

Pointing to the second name, Nixie says, "Her mom's on it." Nodding in understanding, Scott asks, "You'll call her later?" "Duh."

Liam looks between both of them, and then says, "Guys, everyone's on it." Scott turns to him and says, "You're not." "Not yet. There's still another third. Right?" He looks to Nixie on that question, and she nods that there is. But then she moves in to wrap him up in a tight hug. He sinks into it after a minute, feeling the sense of security surround him that he'd sensed as soon as she'd arrived on the scene.

Rubbing a hand up and down his back, she says, "Don't worry, Liam. This whole thing started before you were even turned. So you might not be on it at all. And even if you are, I wouldn't worry too much. Anyone that tries to come near you, if Scott doesn't kill them himself, I'll do it." Liam finally grins and says, "You shouldn't exaggerate." "Who's exaggerating? I'm very serious. Scott. Explain to him." Liam looks up at Scott, and then blinks when Scott shrugs and says, "She's not lying."

She leans back from Liam and says, "See? Now, both of you, come on." Liam asks, "Why? Where are we going? And why do you smell so… so…" Nixie sighs and says, "I smell like home. We've been through this." "No, I mean beyond that. You smell…" He looks to Scott after that, and then wagers a guess and suggests, "Afraid?"

Scott nods in approval and adds, "And extremely worried." Back to Nixie, he says, "It's because of Parrish, right?" Nixie nods, not bothering to deny that. Then she adds, "And, since you weren't listening, I'm worried because Violet knows who Jordan is, and that he's on the list, and is probably trying to figure out how to best kill him. So, if you two will hurry the hell up, I'm going to go over hear and see if I can hear what Rafe knows."

They don't argue with her further, though as they're walking that way, Liam asks, "How can she even hear him from over here? We have the super hearing now, but how can she…" Scott shrugs and says, "She's always had really sensitive hearing. You'll get used to it."

But… for the first time in a while, Scott also wonders how Nixie can possibly hear the conversation going on down the hall, when he himself has to strain to hear them.

Rafe, now holding the evidence bag, says to Violet, "Thermo-cut wire's a very unusual weapon, Violet. Now… we've got a file at the bureau on something similar. Used in over a dozen murders." Violet just offers up a little smirk and says, "I don't know what you're talking about. I just go to school here." Nodding Rafe says, "Maybe we should call your parents then."

Then he lightly snaps his fingers and says, "Oh no, that's right. You don't have any parents." Violet's face instantly morphs from cocky to worried, and she frowns deeper when Rafe affirms, "That's why they call you 'The Orphans'."

Rafe then nods to Jordan, who turns Violet around and starts leading her away. Nixie and Scott watch from up the hall, and then Nixie turns and asks, "Are you staying here?" Nodding, he says, "Gonna see if we can find some sign of Garrett anywhere, maybe something we can use to catch his scent." Nixie nods, "Good. I'm going to catch Jordan and get my ride back to the station. Let me know if you find anything else. I'll call before I head home, and if you don't answer, I'm coming back down here and…" Scott grins and finishes, "And will probably hit me in the back of the head for not answering." "Exactly."

Then she glances at Liam, and then says to Scott, "And make sure you give him my number. And make sure he knows the rules." "On it."

Noah is just walking away, looking for bolt cutters so he can search the lockers of both Violet and Garrett. Rafe is about to follow, when he lets out a huff of air as arms suddenly snap around his waist. Glancing down to find Nixie at his side, hugging him tight, he asks, "What's this for?" "For pissing off the bitch that tried to kill my boy. If I hadn't already promised Malia she could be my favorite person today and tomorrow, I'd change it to you." Leaning back, Nixie says, "But I did promise, so you will have to settle for being my favorite person on Wednesday. Sound good?" Rafe chuckles and says, "Sure. Sounds good." "Good. And now, I gotta go, before my ride leaves me. But thank you. I wish I'd had a camera to capture the look on her face. It was priceless. And I will adore you forever for making that happen. Okay, bye!"

Outside, Jordan had just finished shoving Violet into the backseat of the cruiser. That's when he hears someone running towards him, and he turns sharply to see who it is. He relaxes though, when he finds Nixie sprinting up to him.

Really fast. And as she tries to stop and practically starts skidding towards him, he steps off the car a bit and reaches out an arm to catch her around the waist. Drawing her up short, he says, "Easy with the valuables." Catching her breath, Nixie says, "Sorry. I know. Expensive car. Got it. I…" But Jordan gives her a look and says, "Yeah, I don't really give a shit about the car."

His hand at her waist squeezes gently to emphasize just what he was trying to get her to be careful with. Herself. Nixie looks up at him for a moment, and when she can't think of anything else to say to that, she just says, "Oh… um… oh." Jordan raises an eyebrow, unable to hide a small grin at having rendered her speechless. Then he lets her go and asks, "Why in such a rush?" "Oh, you know. I just… didn't want to miss my ride back to the station."

Tilting his head at her, Jordan says, "I wouldn't leave you stranded here." "Oh, I know that. But you have the criminal, which means you need to leave sooner rather than later. I didn't want to be the one that made you leave later, so…" Chuckling, Jordan glances back at Violet in the car, and then says, "Are you sure you want to ride with me though? I'm sure someone else can…" But Nixie cuts him off and says, "You don't get to drive the assassin back to the station all by yourself. I am coming. And if you leave me stranded here now, I'll press charges for… abandonment or something."

He chuckles at her again, and then walks her around to her side and opens the door for her. After she settles into the seat, he says, "I need to talk to the sheriff one more time, but then I'll be right back. Sound good?" "Sounds great."

As soon as he's shut the door and is gone, Violet smirks and says, "Your boyfriend is lucky my hands are cuffed back here. Otherwise… well, he wouldn't exactly be buying you roses any time soon."

Nixie would argue the point that Jordan wasn't her boyfriend, but she's too angry at the moment to attempt that. Instead, she turns sharply in her seat, eyes hard and glaring at the girl behind her. She feels as though she's never been so angry in her life… and that was saying something. She'd felt a similar sensation in Mexico a few months back, but not since then.

But whatever it was, and whatever Violet now saw in her eyes… it had her smile vanishing and her body shrinking back into the seat behind her. And the low tone and control Nixie kept over her voice only made it that much more terrifying as she says, "If you harm my deputy, in any way, shape, or form; you will wish Scott had just choked you to death in that locker room. Because by the time I'm through with you, that will have seemed like a mercy killing. Hell will feel like a spa after I'm through with you."

Flipping back around at her seat, sighing as she tries to calm down, Nixie grits her teeth when Violet asks, "So which one are you?" "What the hell are you talking about now, bitch?" Violet rolls her eyes and says, "Your name, idiot? Which one are you?" Nixie turns her head just enough to glare at her again, and then says, "I'm not on the stupid list, so my name doesn't do you any good. I'm not supernatural. I'm just the last person in the world you should've dared to piss off. I make Liam's anger issues seem like a child's play when I get pissed."

Violet stares at her in complete shock from the backseat, and is about to comment, and maybe even mock Nixie. But that's when the driver's door opens, and Jordan slides in. Buckling up, he glances over at Nixie and asks, "You alright?" "Peachy. Why?" Raising an eyebrow, Jordan says, "Because you look pissed. Ready to kill somebody. And the whole reason I drove you here myself was to prevent further bloodshed." Nixie gives him a look, but then says, "Don't worry. I'm only plotting one person's murder, and she's in the car with us."

Jordan glances back at Violet, and then says, "She can't hurt them now." "Maybe. But she tried to already, so you'll have to forgive me being pissed. Other people trying to hurt and kill 'my people' tends to have that affect." Jordan watches her a moment more, and then cranks the car and starts driving away. He couldn't really argue with her on that point. Violet had tried to kill Scott. Would've, if Scott hadn't somehow beaten her.

He supposes it's a miracle that Nixie didn't go ahead and murder Violet while he'd gone back inside to talk to Noah. And as they drive back to the station quietly, Jordan turns up the heat in the car a little bit. He didn't understand how, but it was suddenly extremely cold in his car.

At the station, Jordan gets Deputy Barnes to help him escort Violet into one of the prison cells in the back. She'll be transferred to FBI custody sometime tomorrow, but for tonight, she had to remain here.

When he comes back to the main room, he sees Nixie making her way outside. And upon following her, he hears her ask into the phone, "You find anything on Garrett?" Scott pauses on the other end, and then says, "We'll talk tomorrow about that. I didn't find anything useful to help track him." Nixie raises an eyebrow at him saying that they'll talk tomorrow about if he found anything at all. But it's late, and Scott has already had quite a day, so she doesn't push it for now. Instead, she asks, "You home?" "Yeah. And I made sure Liam got home safe too. Stiles and Derek got Brett to Deaton in time. He's gonna be fine. And Kira called to let me know that her mom is okay too."

Nodding, Nixie sighs and says, "Alright. Get some sleep, Scott. Until we figure this out, it's going to be nothing but long days ahead of us." "I know. You get some rest too, Nixie. I'll see you tomorrow."

After hanging up, she pauses for a moment, and then asks, "You need something, Jordan?" He moves to stand next to her, and as they walk towards her bike, he says, "I'd like to know if you're okay." "Yes. I said I was." "Yeah, I heard you. Still don't really believe it." "I can be pissed off and fine. Those two things can coexist. It's rare, I give you that, but they can."

Jordan grins slightly, but then says, "You look… off." Swinging her leg over her bike, she looks up at him and asks, "What do you mean, off?" Sighing, Jordan rubs a hand against the back of his neck, and then shrugs before saying, "You usually always smile. At some point and about something… you smile. And you haven't in quite a while. Barnes was actually afraid he'd done something wrong when he took Violet away, because you were glaring so much."

Nixie looks down at that, and then sighs and says, "Sorry. I just…" She runs a hand over her hair, and then says, "What if… what if someone else had been in there? I mean… we're lucky it was Scott, I guess. He can handle himself pretty well. But what if it had been Stiles that found her first. Or Liam, or Kira, or…"

Jordan steps closer to her. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he says gently, "But they weren't. Scott was. And he handled it." Nixie still shakes her head though, unable to shake the thought from her mind. Well… until Jordan says, "Seriously, quit frowning. You're scary enough with just your eyes glaring at people. You add that severe frown to the mix, and people become very afraid that they're about to be dropped into a river and never found again."

Her burst of laughter makes Jordan smile a little. Then Nixie looks over at him and says, "Sorry. I just… sorry." Jordan shrugs and says, "It's okay. We've got her now, and she's not going anywhere." Nixie nods, and then says, "Thank you, Jordan. For… well, everything." Nodding, he says, "Anytime, Nixie. Goodnight."

He's about to walk away and let her leave, when her hand grabs hold of his wrist. Turning back to her, he finds her biting her bottom lip nervously again. Tilting his head, he asks, "What's up, Nixie?" She stares at him a moment more, and then says, "Don't… just… don't get too close to her. Okay? Promise me? Please?"

Now Jordan stares at her for a moment, and he has to fight back a smile, because this is not the time for smiling. And yet, he can't help feeling that way. Nixie was concerned for her friends. She was deeply worried by the idea that Violet might've tried to kill them all at some point. And though he was still on the outside of their circle, and there was still much he didn't understand… he had Nixie's concern. She was looking at him now like, if he couldn't give her this, she might try to spend the entire night at the station, just to ensure that Violet couldn't do anything to him as well.

And much as he would like to give her that… he can't. Watching her carefully, he says, "I'm afraid I can't, and I am sorry about that. But I might be on the detail to get her out of here when that time comes." Nixie deflates in her posture a bit, clearly disappointed with this response, but not totally surprised by it either. Jordan steps up closer to her upon seeing her disappointment, and slides his arm around her.

She fits rather well in his arms, he decides. He'd thought so when she'd first hugged him, and it was reconfirmed now. Squeezing her gently, he says, "Don't worry so much, Nixie. I'm the sheriff's deputy. I can handle her. And I won't be alone, if I'm even put on the detail in the first place." "You weren't alone when that bastard tried to rob the armored car last year either. Look what happened to you then."

Jordan grins slightly and says, "I've gotten better since then. I can handle her." "Please don't underestimate her." "I won't. I will promise you that." "Good." She rests her head on his chest for a moment, and then sighs and says, "Alright. Sorry, I…" But Jordan shakes his head at her and says, "Nixie, please don't apologize. I'm honored… touched even, that you are so concerned for my safety. I understand you don't just hand out that concern lightly."

She smiles up at him finally, and then says, "Night, Jordan." "Goodnight, Nixie."

When she gets to the shack, she immediately writes down the names from the second portion of the list. Then she lays down on the floor in her makeshift bed, reads them all over so she can hopefully remember them all, and then closes her eyes to try and get some sleep. It's all she can really do at this point, aside from pray that tomorrow brings with it more answers than they got today.

Nixie is about ready to head to school the next morning, when her phone rings. Seeing that it's unknown to her phone, she frowns. But… she figures it might be Liam, so she answers, "Yeah?" "Um… is this Nixie?" Frowning again, seeing that it's not Liam's voice, Nixie says, "You have ten seconds to tell me your name and why you have my number. Then I'm hanging up." "Oh! Um… it's Mason! Mason Hewitt? I'm… I'm friends with Liam. Well, he's my best friend. Um… sorry, I didn't…"

Nixie relaxes a little, and then asks gently, "How'd you get my number Mase?" Mason sighs in relief at her changed tone, and then says, "Uh, Liam gave it to me. He said that if I ever needed help or thought something strange or bizarre was going on… that I should call you." Nixie makes a thoughtful noise in her throat, and then says, "Liam and I will have to have a talk. Not that I have anything against you, Mason. You sound like a fine individual. But, I'm very particular about who gets my number, and since I haven't met you yet…"

Mason nods and says, "Yeah, Liam said that too. And he said if I ever had to use it before we met, I should probably go ahead and apologize in advance for the fact that I have it. But he said he really wanted me to have it. He apparently thinks that, if something ever happened to me, you're definitely the one I should call. Even before the police."

Smiling a little, Nixie simply says, "Smart boy. Now, what do you need, Mason? You in trouble?" "No. But… I think Liam might be."

And as Mason explains what happened. How Liam just vanished out of thin air on their run this morning, Nixie sighs before simply saying, "Shit."

"What?!"

Stiles sighs, because he'd known Nixie wouldn't like his plan. And he'd known that because it took her away from helping to get Liam back.

Looking at him and Lydia like they've both lost their minds, Nixie demands, "Why do I have to go with you guys? I want to help find Liam! Strike that, I am going to help find Liam!" Lydia quickly shushes her as she gets louder in volume. Scott had gotten them out to the buses to talk, explaining what Garrett wanted in return for getting Liam back. Nixie was confident that, if she searched through the woods fast enough, she could find him on her own.

Scott wasn't as confident. He didn't doubt she'd try… but the preserve was huge, and if Liam was stabbed with a blade laced with wolfsbane, they didn't have time to waste on hoping that Nixie would be lucky enough to find him before he died. Which is why he was on board with Stiles' plan for the day, which was to get the third cipher key.

Lydia takes her hand gently and says, "Nixie, we know finding him is important. Scott is on it. But we also need to find the third cipher key for the dead pool." "I'm aware of that. But Lydia, I'm not a banshee. And aside from offering moral support, I don't see what good I'm going to do you." Stiles points and says, "You can get us into Eichen House."

Nixie freezes entirely for a second, and then looks at him and asks, "What?" "We need to get into Eichen House. To talk to Meredith again. She helped last time, maybe she can…" Nixie holds up a hand and says, "Okay, okay, yeah I get that. But I don't get how I'm supposed to get you in. I know Eichen House, sure. But I still can't break us in. It'd take me at least a day, maybe two, to plan for that. There are things we'd need to get access to her in there, and I…"

Lydis stops her and says, "We know. Which is why we aren't thinking of breaking in." Blinking in confusion, Nixie says, "Okay. Then I should remind you all that I'm not one for sweet talking guards into letting me past their normal protocols. In fact, Lydia, that would definitely be more your area of expertise. I just glare at people and frighten them into a corner." Stiles says, "Yeah, we've noticed."

She gives him a look, so he holds up his hands in a peaceful gesture, and then says, "We're not thinking of sweet talking our way in either. But… if a certain member of the police department were to come with us and ask to question Meredith… well, that would get us in."

Still confused, Nixie says, "So go ask your dad. I'm not a cop, and I couldn't pretend to be one, even if I were willing to try." "Nixie, dad's on the detail to transport Violet." Straightening up at that, Nixie turns to Scott and asks, "And you have to stop them?" Scott nods and then assures her, "I will take care of them. I promise." "Okay."

Back to Stiles, she says, "So, what? Do you need me to intimidate an officer into taking you? I'm not so sure I…" Stiles shakes his head and says, "Not intimidate. Just… ask and make sure he knows how important this is." "You can't do that?" "You can do it better." "How?!"

Lydia puts a hand on her shoulder and says, "We're asking Jordan." Nixie pauses for a long moment at that, and then looks up at her and says, "I… still don't understand why that means you need me. If he doesn't want to take you, then he won't. He's, quite literally, the only officer in the station that I don't have a lot of influence over." Stiles gives her a look and says, "Yes, you do." "No, I don't!"

Huffing, Lydia says, "Nixie, don't even try right now." "I'm not trying anything. Jordan, he…" Stiles steps up to her and says, "Look, we talked about this. We all know you have a huge crush on my dad's favorite deputy. Who happens to be my dad's favorite deputy because, wouldn't you know it, he's also your favorite deputy."

Nixie blushes at that, and then it goes deeper when Stiles says, "And he's crushing on you too." "No, he's not. He's…" Lydia puts a hand on her shoulder and says, "Nixie, you don't give yourself enough credit. And you don't see the way he looks at you. And sure, he's argued with you sometimes, but he also listens to you. More so than he listens to the rest of us. If you say it's important… that we have to do this… he'll believe you. He'll help us. But we need you with us."

Staring at them both, Nixie says softly, "He doesn't look at me…. No one looks at me like… I'm just…" Stiles sighs and steps up to her now. Hands landing gently on her shoulders, he says, "Look, I am only going to explain this once. Once, because you're like my sister, and confirming that Lydia is correct on this count… kind of feels weird for me. But here goes…" Looking her in the eye, he says, "You are adorable. You are funny. You are sexy. And I can name seven guys on the lacrosse team, right now, that have deemed you bangable, dateable, and kissable. So yes, you are someone that guys look at in this way."

Nixie just stares at him dumbfounded, and he goes on. "Now, where Jordan is concerned, it's much nicer. He looks at you like you're beautiful. Lydia's seen it. I've seen it recently, now that I'm looking for it. On top of that, Jordan has only ever cared about knowing one other person's order of coffee, aside from his own, and that is yours." When Nixie opens her mouth to argue, Stiles cuts her off with, "Yes, I know I'm the one who explained it to him, but he asked me about it specifically, and he doesn't care about getting anyone else coffee. He gets it for you, because he knows you like it, and he knows you appreciate it."

Continuing on, he adds, "Jordan has also only ever let one other person, aside from my dad, ride shotgun in the cruiser with him. And that is you, again. And Jordan, though he always wonders about why we're there so much, doesn't concern himself with it quite as much if you aren't also there with us."

Nodding at Nixie's wide-eyed expression, he says, "And there is no way he is helping us get in to see Meredith, if you don't come with us to help convince him that we have no other option. We're running out of time, and Meredith is out best bet. So… you're coming with us."

Nixie stares at him a moment more, and then turns to look at Scott. He nods and then puts a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'll get Liam back, Nixie. I promise. And if I run into any trouble that I can't handle on the way, I'll call you immediately to ask for help. Okay?"

Finally, she nods, and then sighs before saying, "Alright. Let's go convince Jordan to illegally take us into Eichen House. But for the record, I don't think he likes me nearly as much as you seem to think he does." Stiles rolls his eyes and says, "Then either he or you, one of you, is an idiot. And apart from that, I want it on record that I think I'm right. And since Lydia agrees with me, we should consider me right, because even though you are smart, Lydia's the genius."

Nixie gives him a look and says, "Gee, thanks." "Oh, shut up. You know I love you." "Yeah, love you too." "So, you're with us?" "Yeah. But I also want it on record that I'm not happy about it. And I'm doing this under duress." Grinning, Stiles throws his hands up and says, "Yes! Alright! So, right after school, we head over. I don't want to push it and try to make him take us while school is still going. He might just throw us out of the building."

After he's gone and Scott has left as well, Lydia slips her arm through Nixie's. Walking leisurely, since they both have a free period now, Lydia says, "I do think he's falling for you too. You know that, right? I mean… I wouldn't just say all that to convince you to come with us. I really do think it." Nixie nods, and then sighs and says, "Yeah, I know." "Then why argue so much?" "Because I don't agree with Stiles. Guys don't look at me like that. Not like I'm some loveable, huggable, dateable… bangable thing." "Nixie, Stiles just said…" "All of those that he's talking about are boys with dick's for brains. It's more disgusting than a compliment."

Sighing again, she says, "Jordan is… sweet. He's warm and sweet and good and wonderful and… I'm not." "Nixie! Yes, you are!" "Maybe, but I don't look like I am. I look like a warrior with a death wish." "Nixie, give him some more credit. Jordan… he knows that we're involved in these cases. He has an inkling of some of what we've faced before. He'd understand where your scars come from and he'd admire you for them."

Silence for a moment, and then Lydia says, "You didn't see the way he looked at you in the station yesterday." "He looked at all of us." "Sure. But he looked at you in particular. He could see you were upset. He saw it from outside the office. And he instantly stood up to try and see if he could fix it. He looked at you like, whatever new problem you had, he would've moved mountains to see it done away with." Leaning her head onto Nixie's shoulder, Lydia adds, "And you move mountains for us all the time, Nixie. It's about time you had someone who could do the same for you."

They stay quiet for a moment more, and then Nixie concedes to another problem she'd thought about. "He's not in our group yet. I mean… he's not a part of the pack yet. And the age thing is still an issue." Lydia nods, and then says, "He can be in our group though. I'm sure Scott wouldn't mind. For you to like him this much… for you to be in love with him… he has to be pretty great. So… we can bring him in, eventually. And as for the age thing… well, I guess you guys will just have to be patient for the next year or so. And the only person I've seen with more patience than you, is Jordan. You guys will be fine."

Nixie finally laughs and says, "You talk as if we're already a couple. He may still not actually like me that much, you know." "Then he's an idiot, like Stiles said. Plus, I don't trust your judgment when it comes to figuring out if anyone likes you or not. You don't see yourself the way the rest of us do, so your opinion can't be relied on in that sense." "Gee, thanks." Lydia laughs, and then says, "And as for the way I'm talking… I'm just planning ahead for the future, Nixie. Just planning ahead."

As they separate to grab books for the next classes, Nixie stands at her locker, pondering all that they'd said. She hadn't been aware that they concerned themselves so much with her love life. And it worries her a bit that they do. With dead pools, assassins, and everything else they have to deal with… they shouldn't be so concerned with her. Not her love life, not her scars… not any of it. She could handle this. She could handle pain. She could handle being a little lonely, if that's what this life was going to call her to be.

She could handle cold and empty shacks. She could handle everything that this world throws at her… so long as she has them. So long as she has her pack to protect, to love, and to remind herself that she's never really alone. Not really.

That's all she needs. Right?

When the door opens nearby and Jordan looks up, he's actually surprised to see Stiles, Lydia, and Nixie walking in. He smiles up at them though and asks, "Need something?"

His smile slips a little when Nixie looks away from him, not wanting to meet his gaze. He attempts to catch hers, but then looks up at Lydia when she says, "Um… maybe in Noah's office." Jordan nods, not arguing at this point, since he's so confused by Nixie's behavior. Walking them in, he says, "Sheriff should be back within the next hour or so. You want to wait here for him?"

Closing the door behind him, Stiles turns to him and says, "Actually, we want to, uh, talk to you." Lydia nods and adds, "Privately."

For a moment, nothing is said, and then Nixie feels Lydia nudge her arm. This is what she was here for. To convince him. Sighing, she glances up, a little surprised to find his eyes already on her. Then she shrugs and asks, "Please?"

She really had no idea how adorable she was, is what Jordan decides. How anyone would say no to her at this point was beyond him. And as if he would've tried anyway. She looks back down immediately, which he's not exactly pleased with… but he'd wait for a moment to figure that out. Maybe it would be explained here and now, why she was suddenly afraid to look at him.

Nodding to Stiles, Jordan asks, "What's going on?" So Stiles hands over the second portion of the list and begins explaining what exactly it is. Jordan reads down it, recognizing several names immediately, and then asks, "This is a hit list?" Nodding, Stiles says, "We call it a dead pool. Recognize any of the names?" Gesturing to them, Jordan says, "Yeah. The sheriff had me run a bunch of these through the system last night. But we couldn't find any of them."

It dawns on him then that it was also last night that Nixie's eyes had been filled with fear as she, Lydia, and Malia had been standing around the computer in this office. This is what they'd found last night. This is what had gotten Nixie so scared. Cutting his eyes to her, finding them on him for now, he knows she sees the silent question in his eyes, wondering what was going on.

She just ducks her eyes down again, refusing to speak for now. Stiles glances at her, knowing that she feels bad right now. When they'd told her that they were going to show Jordan the list… a list with his name on it… she'd immediately clammed up and felt bad for not having shown it to him sooner. He was on a dead pool, for crying out loud. Of course he should know.

Then Stiles looks to Lydia and says, "Show him the other thing." Lydia glances at Nixie too, realizing she is most definitely not going to be the one to show Jordan herself. So she reaches forward and flips the folded sheet of paper over so Jordan can see the other side. At the sight of his name, Jordan stands up from leaning against the desk, and then says, "Okay. That's kind of terrifying."

He was on a hit list. Why was he on a hit list? Tilting his head, he then asks, "What's the number beside it?" Lydia glances to Nixie again, but when she still refuses to speak, Lydia answers, "That's how much you're worth?" Spinning back towards them, Jordan asks incredulously, "I'm worth five dollars?!" Stiles gives him a look and says, "Five million."

Jordan leans back in shock at that part, and then says "I only make forty-thousand a year." Stiles nods to that, shrugging at Lydia to show he doesn't understand the relevance of that. Nixie is now pinching the bridge of her nose, trying to ward off another headache. That's when they hear Jordan say, more as an afterthought than anything else, "Maybe I should kill myself."

The slap to the back of his head is so hard and loud that Lydia would swear it echoes in the room. Jerking from the force of it, Jordan snaps his attention around, about to ask what the hell just happened.

He stops short though when he sees Nixie's face. Gone was the avoiding glances and nervous posture. Her eyes were hard and boring into him, fierce in their sudden anger. For a moment, Jordan just stands there, because even if she was glaring at him right now, it was better than her avoiding looking at him at all. Then, because he wants some clarification, he says, "Um… owe."

Her eyes narrow in annoyance, and then she jabs a finger into his chest while saying, "If you ever, and I do mean ever, contemplate offing yourself again, you will not have to worry about it. I will personally take care of it for you, for being a freaking idiot. Do not ever, say anything, like that again."

Jordan's eyes widen slightly at the overly controlled tone of voice she was using. Her hands were shaking at her sides, as though she were resisting the urge to slap him again. Then, he hears Stiles huff from nearby before he whispers to Lydia, "Why did we bring her again? Wasn't she supposed to make this easier?"

Easier? Jordan glances briefly at Lydia and Stiles, and then realizes with chagrin, that maybe he wasn't going as unnoticed in his attraction to Nixie as he'd thought. The young psychic obviously knew, it was evident in the way she was watching the both of them right now.

Oh well. It was definitely too late to try harder now. And… well, he doesn't really want to anyways. Back to Nixie, meeting her still glaring eyes, he says gently, "Alright. Sorry. And I promise I won't."

The little spitfire in front of him settles herself down upon hearing though, though the confused look on her face is still adorable. She had clearly been expecting an argument of some sort. One she would've readily fought with him about until she won. But he'd given in easily. And in all honesty, it was a reasonable request. He shouldn't have said it in the first place, even as an afterthought.

Besides, he has another bone to pick with her, but he'll get to that in a minute. Turning back to Lydia and Stiles, he says, "I don't get it, though. Why… why am I even on this?" Stiles sighs, happy to be back on track, and then says, "Honestly that might be a question for another day. Right now, there's still another third of the list we gotta crack." Nodding, Lydia adds, "We need the third cipher key. But… we need help getting it." Understanding that, Jordan shrugs and asks, "From who?"

Lydia and Stiles both look to Nixie, both of their gazes insisting that she be the one to answer that question for him. Looking back at her, finding her eyes cast down again, he reaches up gently to touch her arm. Grabbing her attention for a moment, he nods over to her friends. And when she looks, she rolls her eyes before sighing and saying, "We… need Meredith."

And now he understands why Stiles had brought Nixie in the interest of making this easier. They were all too aware of how much attention he paid to Nixie. And yes, he was aware that Nixie wouldn't be asking for Meredith if they didn't absolutely need to see her.

Still, he looks over at Lydia and asks, "The girl from Eichen? Last time you saw her, you almost gave her a nervous breakdown." Lydia immediately points out, "Uh… almost." Stiles nods and adds, "Quite a distinction there. Plus, Nixie would be coming. So, you know, if Meredith starts losing it again, she can hug Nixie and everything will be right as rain again."

Nixie pinches the bridge of her nose again, and then returns to looking at the floor, or the wall, or the window. Anywhere but at him.

And Jordan has had enough. To Lydia and Stiles, he says, "Let me think about it." Tightening her lips worriedly, Lydia says, "But…" "Lydia, I'm gonna think about it quickly. Just… give me a minute. Go back outside."

So Stiles and Lydia step out the door, but as Nixie makes to follow, Jordan catches her arm and says, "No. You stay." Moving to the door, shutting it again and locking it this time, he turns back to her. Blinking in surprise, Nixie says, "I thought you needed to think." "I do, and I am going to. And you're going to help me. After you explain why you suddenly can't stand to so much as look at me."

She ducks her eyes again in response, but gasps softly when Jordan's hand slips beneath her chin, fingers tilting her head up so she has to look at him. Giving her a look, daring her to look away, he asks, "What happened?" "Nothing… I… it's not…"

Holding up the list that he still has, Jordan asks, "Is this what happened last night? Why you got so worried and scared all of a sudden? You saw this?" She nods in answer to that, and Jordan says, "So you knew I was on it." She nods again, her eyes darting away again.

Ah… so that was it. Gentling his stance with her, he puts the list in his pocket while asking, "Is that why you didn't want me going near Violet last night?" Nixie nods again, biting her lip hard. Then she gasps in surprise when Jordan's arms gently wrap around her. Drawing her in, he says, "Stop it." "What?"

Rubbing a hand gently up her back, he says, "You're afraid that I'm pissed because you didn't already tell me about this. Stop it." Cradling the back of her head, pulling it to rest against his chest, he says, "I'm not happy about it. I admit that. I'm not happy about you keeping this a secret for any length of time, really. But… I understand."

Sighing, he says, "Or… maybe I shouldn't say I understand. There's a lot about you guys that I don't have a damn clue about." Nixie lets out a short laugh, and Jordan smiles at the sound before saying, "But… I get it. I think. At least a little, I suppose." As she relaxes further, Jordan adds, "And hey, I don't know what you did to Violet yesterday when I left you in the car. But when I brought her lunch today, she was actually terrified to come anywhere near me. So… thanks for that."

Laughing again, Nixie relaxes into him, wrapping an arm around him in return. Pulling back, wiping at her eye because she'll be damned if she's going to cry simply in relief over Jordan not being angry at her, she then smiles up at him, no longer avoiding his gaze.

He smiles back gently, and then takes a breath and says, "Now… about Meredith. I'm… not so sure about that." Nixie nods in understanding, and then sighs and says, "She… she's our best shot at getting the last key. Maybe our only shot."

Jordan looks at her for a long moment, and then finally nods and says "Let me grab my jacket. We'll all take the cruiser. That'll make it look more official than if we all show up separately." Blinking in surprise, Nixie asks, "Really?" "Yeah. Come on."

But when her surprised expression doesn't leave, Jordan turns back to her and asks, "What? You didn't think I'd want to help?" "No! Not that. I… I just…" He tilts his head at her curiously, and then can't help grinning a little when Nixie asks, "Why? Why are you suddenly so ready to go and get her now that I told you we need her? I mean… I…" Stepping back up to her, cutting off whatever else she might've said, Jordan says, "Two reasons, actually."

Raising an eyebrow at him, Nixie waits to hear them. Jordan lifts a finger and says, "First one, is that you care a lot about Meredith. I saw that last time. So I know you wouldn't be asking this, risking upsetting her, unless it really was the only option you thought you had."

Nixie can't argue with that one, so she just nods in agreement. Then Jordan says, "Second one... is that if there was another option, you would've told me about it. And you haven't, so you need Meredith. So we're going to talk to her." Tilting her head, Nixie says, "You don't know that I would've told you." "Oh, but I do, actually." "How?"

Raising an eyebrow at her now, he says, "Because I know why and when you hold back the truth. And it's when you're trying to protect someone. And leaving out another option at this point, would not help protect or keep Meredith safe. It might even endanger her, and your friends, and me too for that matter. So I know you've told me all you can about this."

She stares up at him, and then says softly, "You shouldn't be going just because I said to go. I… it…" "Nixie, I'm going because all three of you think Meredith can help figure out how to see the entire hit list. And if we're going to prevent any more murders, we need the whole list. And I'm not stupid. I know all three of you, are just about the smartest people in this town. Which means if you three can't think of another way right now, then no one else is going to either."

Silence reigns for a moment after that, and then Jordan gently takes her elbow in his hand and says, "Come on. Eichen won't let us visit her if we get there too late. And I wouldn't mind knowing what the rest of the list is as soon as possible, myself."

Nixie nods to that, and Jordan opens the door so she can go out first. Stiles and Lydia stands up from the couch, Stiles practically bouncing in his anticipation for an answer. Jordan grabs his jacket from the back of the chair and says, "I'll pull the cruiser around and then we can go. Wait here."

As soon as he's gone, Stiles turns to Nixie and asks, "What did he say?" Shrugging, Nixie says, "He just… wanted to talk." "About what?" Nixie gives him a look and says, "About the weather. What do you think he wanted to talk about Stiles?" "I don't know! Maybe he was hitting on you!" "What?!" Stiles nods and adds, "And if he was, it is within my rights as practically being your brother, to threaten to kick his ass and kill him if he comes onto you without your permission, or if he ever hurts you. Ever."

Nixie's mouth has dropped open slightly, and then she says, "I. AM. A. MINOR. What part of that has not sunk in yet? Jordan is a cop, and he's the smartest one we have here. He's not stupid enough to try and hit on a minor. At all, but much less in the sheriff's station!" Stiles shrugs and says, "He might turn stupid for you though. I saw how he was looking at you in there. You were about to give him an anxiety attack, making him wonder why in the hell you were trying so hard not to look at him." "Oh, just shut up. I'll hit you in the head for sheer annoyance here in a minute."

Stiles grins at her, knowing it's an empty threat. Then he says, "He's taking us though. That's good. Means we were right, and he listened to you." "No. He listened to all of us. He knows we're the smartest people in this town, he told me so." Crossing her arms, Lydia asks, "And?" Sighing, Nixie adds, "And he said he knew I would've told him about another option if I thought there was one. So he's taking us. Satisfied?" "A little. But you need to take a little more pride in the fact that, out of anyone's opinion he could've wanted last, he picked yours as the one that mattered most. Have a little optimism for yourself here. It's getting exhausting, being the only one to have it about this pending relationship."

Nixie raises an eyebrow and asks "Pending? We haven't even…" "But you will. I am confident. Don't argue with me. I'm a genius."

And in the interest of ending the conversation, Nixie does shut up for now. Jordan comes back in to get them a moment later, and then escorts them all out to the car. Stiles smirks at Nixie, and then shoots his hand into the air and says, "Shotgun! Called it!"

Jordan simply raises an eyebrow at him, not missing how Nixie's cheeks start turning red. Putting a hand on Stiles' shoulder, Jordan says, "In the back. I'm driving, I pick the shotgun." And Stiles would comment further, except Jordan gives him a look that clearly says he would leave him here if Stiles didn't shut up.

Then he opens the passenger door for Nixie, and as she slides in, she doesn't even need to look in a mirror to know that Lydia and Stiles are both grinning at her like idiots.

But even though she is rather pleased that Jordan wanted her beside him in the front… she couldn't express that right now. They were going to Eichen House. A place she really wasn't supposed to even go. A place that held one of the biggest secrets of her life.

And somehow, though she hopes she's wrong, Nixie can feel that this is not going to end well tonight.

Jordan's concern has shifted now. Rather than Nixie avoiding his gaze, she was avoiding looking at everyone else in this place. Not just the patients. In fact, she didn't seem to care if some of them looked at her and saw her. No… it was more the orderlies and the guards that she seemed worried about.

While the man at the door searches for the correct key, and while Stiles and Lydia are watching him, Jordan gently reaches out to brush his fingers against the back of Nixie's clenched fist. She jumps a little in surprise, but then looks up at him curiously, wondering what he might want.

He simply glances down at her clenched hands, and then looks back to her face, tilting his head in his own curiosity. Nixie smiles at him reassuringly, trying to tell him that she's fine. But it's not even a full minute after that when her hands start clenching again. So no… she most certainly was not fine.

He's about to get her attention again, lean closer for a better answer, when Stiles turns to see someone else coming down the hall. And upon seeing Brunski, Stiles tenses and says, "Oh no, not this guy."

Nixie and Jordan both turn to look and see who's coming, and though Jordan has never met this man before, he can't help noticing how Nixie's eyes instantly harden into a sharp and penetrating glare. Her hands have even stopped clenching, whatever other worry she'd had completely forgotten at the sight of this man.

Upon reaching them, Brunski demands from the orderly, "What the hell are we running here? A bed and breakfast?" Taking the keys from the other man, he adds, "You do not just open the door for anyone with a badge."

Jordan puts a gentle hand on Nixie's shoulder, trying to calm her, and then says, "We need to talk to Meredith Walker. It involves a murder investigation." Brunski turns to look at him, and then says, "Well, you can talk to her all you want. But these three, and especially these two…" He points to both Stiles and Nixie, and finishes, "They're outta here." Looking specifically at Nixie, he says, "And you definitely know you shouldn't be here."

Jordan has no idea why Nixie should be considered banned from this place. And judging from the looks on Lydia and Stiles' faces, they don't have a clue either. Making a mental note to hit on that subject later, Jordan quickly intervenes again and says, "They're crucial witnesses in an ongoing investigation. I wouldn't have brought them here if it wasn't absolutely… crucial."

Well, what else was he supposed to say at that point? Brunski smirks at him and says, "Okay deputy. If it's so 'crucial, how about you come back with a court order, then I'll listen." Scoffing at Jordan, he doesn't see how dangerously close Nixie is to lashing out at him. Then he takes it too far. Turning to Stiles, Brunski says, "As for you, Mr. Stilinski. How about you come back with payment in full?"

Stiles drops his gaze to the ground, and Brunski chuckles and says, "That's right. Daddy may be the sheriff, but he's late on the bills." Stepping closer, raising his hand to maybe jab a finger in Stiles' chest, he says, "I guess those government jobs aren't as reliable as they used to…"

She moved so fast that Jordan had to take a moment and blink to clear his mind and figure out what just happened. Brunski suddenly jerked back in a cry of pain, and his hand was bleeding from the cut on the back of it. And Stiles, though still a bit shaken, was suddenly able to smile again as Nixie moved in front of him.

Glaring at Brunski, Nixie says, "Do not, touch, my boy." He stares at her for a moment, and then at the blade she twirls in her hand. And he knew that she was ready to hit him again, if he came closer. So he doesn't. But he does sneer at her and say, "Fine. Besides, he's not the only one who needs to leave. By the way, I've been meaning to ask. How has life been treating you now that mother dearest's insurance can't cover the rent?"

Stiles and Lydia snap their gazes to Nixie in confusion and bewilderment, because why should Brunski know anything about Nixie's mom, a woman that they themselves, had never even met. Smirking, Brunski says, "Yes, Miss Bennett. I'm very aware of those changes."

More confusion, and Nixie hears Stiles ask, "Bennett?" Brunski chuckles, realizing they have no idea what he's talking about. Then he says to Nixie, "Oh, that's right, I forgot. Your last name is Haven now, isn't it? Oh, my mistake. I get so confused sometimes since you look so much like…"

It wasn't that Jordan didn't want to know more about that as well. He did. But he'd been watching Nixie closely ever since Brunski had started talking. And he could see it in the stilling of her hands, and the way her body slowly started to move into an offensive position. She was ready to attack the man.

So, to prevent that, he cuts Brunski off by saying, "You're right. Those government jobs aren't as reliable as they used to be. But they do help when you need a favor." When Brunski turns to look at him, Jordan shrugs indifferently, but then says, "Like, how a month ago, Canaan P.D. helped you get home after blowing point one on a breathalyzer."

Stiles worried expression turns to one of joyous amusement as he turns back to Brunski with an awed whisper of, "No." Brunski turns to glare at him, but backs up a step when Nixie twirls her dagger again. To Jordan, Brunski clucks his tongue behind his teeth, and then says, "Alright. I'm not against a little quid pro quo. Not at all. Not… at… all."

He makes to shove the keys at Stiles chest, but Nixie swings her blade up and catches them first. Then she holds it out for Jordan, who amazes everyone by taking them off the end of the knife without even batting an eye. Then he hands them to Stiles behind Nixie's back and nods towards the door.

Lydia, for her part, upon seeing how much enjoyment he got out of egging Nixie on, shows Brunski her middle finger before he moves on down the hall. Then she turns back, ready to question Nixie about what happened.

But Nixie is struggling not to laugh, because Stiles is pawing at Jordan like he's suddenly the greatest human being they've ever seen. Pointing at the deputy, Stiles says, "You. You? I like you. I'm gonna keep you."

She has to cover her mouth to hide her laughter, and Jordan grins at her a bit. Then Stiles turns to her, and instantly goes back to being serious when he asks, "And what was that about? How does he know you? And Bennett? Why did he call you…"

Nixie holds up her hand and says, "Not now." "But…" "Stiles, not now. And definitely not here. Get the door open. Talk to Meredith. And let's get out. Then you can bug me." He thinks about that for a moment, and then nods and heads for the door, getting Lydia to help him find the right key.

Nixie is about to try and help too, except Jordan catches her elbow and pulls her back. Keeping her on the other side of the hall, he asks softly, "What was that?" "Jordan, I…" "And please don't lie to me."

She snaps her eyes up to his, and then begins biting her lip again. Jordan watches her for a moment, and then says gently, "Talk to me, Nixie. What…" "Not right now." "Nixie…" "Not here. Jordan… please?"

It was the fact that she looked like she might begin crying if she talked about right now. That's what made him back off. This conversation wasn't over, by any means. But he could wait. Nodding gently, he then brushes some of her hair out of her face from where it had fallen from her hair bow. Tucking it behind her ear, he leaves his hand there, cupping the side of her head, hoping to comfort her. Because whatever Brunski had been talking about… it had upset her quite a bit, even if she was trying not to show it so much.

Nixie leans into his hand for a moment, relaxing in his touch. Then she hears the door open to Meredith's room, and she smiles wryly before saying, "Thanks, Jordan." And he smiles back before saying, "Anytime, Nixie."

Now, even though Nixie had been prepared for whatever kind of weird answering method Meredith might have this time… she had not been ready for the banshee to simply tell them that she knew the key word, but wasn't going to give it to them.

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Lydia asks, "Meredith, what do you mean you can't tell us?" Stiles nods in agreement with the question and says, "We just need the third key. You can give it to us in numbers, letters, hieroglyphs. Whatever you want." But Meredith just says again, "I can't." Huffing, Lydia asks in bewilderment, "Then why did you give us the second key?" "I wanted to help. That's what I want to do. I want to help."

Lydia nods eagerly and holds out her hands while saying, "Great! So help us now, okay? Give us the third cipher key." Growing a bit agitated, her voice shaking, Meredith shakes her head and says, "Things have changed. I… I can't." Stiles runs a hand over his face and asks, "Why not?"

Jordan, who had been standing at the door, comes up beside Nixie at the end of the beds and says, "Guys, go easy on her." Meredith glances over at the two of them, and then back to Stiles and Lydia as she says, "I'm sorry. I can't. He… he doesn't want me to." Grabbing onto that string of information instead, Stiles asks, "He? Who's he?" Lydia nods and adds, "Meredith, who doesn't want you to tell us the third cipher key?"

And a stunned silence follows when Meredith says, "The Benefactor."

Jordan only hears Nixie say, "Son of a bitch," because he was standing right beside her. Wide eyes on Meredith, Nixie doesn't argue this time when Lydia starts demanding, "What's his name?" Meredith shakes her head, and Lydia stands up to pace while saying in aggravation, "You could just tell us his name!"

Meredith just shakes her head harder, so Stiles asks, "Okay, you're shaking your head. What's that mean? You don't know? Or you don't want to help us?" "I… I can't. I can't help anymore." Shaking her head right back, Lydia demands, "How do you know about him?"

But Meredith just becomes more and more panicked at this point, rocking back and forth on the edge of the bed. Frowning, Nixie says, "Guys, we need to ease back. She's…" Lydia, in her frustration, snaps around to glare at Nixie before turning back to Meredith. But before she can speak again, Jordan adds, "Guys, I think we better stop."

Nixie nods in agreement, but Lydia continues anyway, saying, "Meredith, a lot of people are going to die if you don't tell us." "I don't… I… I don't know. I don't know. Please…" Lydia makes to demand more, but Nixie steps up and catches her arm. Shaking her head, Nixie says, "We're not getting anything else from her."

Jordan steps towards Meredith, trying to calm her by saying, "Meredith, it's okay. You're gonna be alright." "I don't know. I don't know…" "I know. It's okay. You're gonna be just…" But then Meredith jumps up and screams, "I said I don't know!"

Lydia cringes and steps back towards Stiles, hands shooting up to cover her ears. And while the scream had been directed at her, Nixie's hearing was too acute for it to not have an effect. Her hands snapped up to her ears too, and she actually dropped down to her knees from trying to escape the sound now ringing through her head.

Jordan doesn't know what just happened. He knows that wasn't any ordinary scream. And he knows that he and Stiles are both okay, as far as he can tell. But Lydia… as Stiles checks on her, has blood leaking from one of her ears.

Bending down quickly to Nixie's side, he grips her shoulders to sit her upright. "Nixie? Hey, look at me. Hey, right here. Look at me." She opens her eyes to look at him, blinking again before cringing and saying, "Shit. My head."

Jordan grins a little in spite of himself, and after looking her over for other injuries, he sighs in relief and pulls her in closer. He doesn't care if Stiles and Lydia are watching right now. He's too happy that Nixie's okay.

Sighing after a minute, she says, "Come on guys. We need to go." Stiles nods and guides Lydia out. Jordan helps Nixie to her feet, and is about to guide her from the room, when Meredith suddenly shoots up from the bed. Scrambling down, she wraps herself around one of Nixie's legs, hugging her there and refusing to let go.

Nixie stares at her for a moment in surprise, but then sighs and says, "Fine." Nodding to Jordan, she says, "It's alright. She just needs to know it's going to be okay. I'll come out in a minute." But as she turns back to Meredith, Jordan grips her arm and turns her head to face him again. Stern look in his eyes, he says, "You're not going to stay here after that." "Meredith is my friend. She's just… not altogether… there. She just needs to know one of us isn't angry at her. I can do that. I'll be fine." "Nixie…"

Tilting her head at him, Nixie says, "Jordan, I promise, its okay. She's harmless. Well… now she is, anyway. And between me and Lydia… Lydia is the one that needs attention right now. I'll be fine." Jordan stares at her a moment longer, and then sighs, knowing she isn't going to budge on this. Shaking his head in disbelief that he's allowing it, he says, "You have ten minutes. Then I'm coming back and I'll drag you out if I have to." "You can try."

He grins at the playful smirk she gives him, and then says, "We'll be in the lobby." "Got it."

Jordan pauses in the doorway, watching as Nixie picks Meredith up off the floor. Then they both sit on the bed, Meredith hugging Nixie tight, while Nixie whispers soothing words to her, letting her know its okay.

As soon as he's gone, Meredith whispers, "He's very good for you." Sighing, Nixie says, "Not you too." Meredith just tilts her head, slightly confused, but then cups Nixie's face in her hands. And as strange and… 'off' as this banshee might be, Nixie can't help but listen when Meredith says, "You are beautiful. You are a beauty and you choose not to see it in yourself. And that is all part of what makes you who you are, who they love and cherish as a friend." Glancing towards the door where Jordan had been, Meredith adds, "But he sees it. All of your friends see it, but they are just friends. But the deputy… he sees it to. He knows you're beautiful, inside and out. And he can make you see it too. And you need to let him."

Nixie stares at her for a moment, kind of in shock. Then she shakes herself and asks, "Meredith… you're my friend too. So… are you alright?" Meredith nods, a smile on her face. Then she moves to lay down in bed again. Nixie shakes her head in amazement at the girl, and then stands up to leave. But before she gets out the door, she hears Meredith say, "Let him." Turning back to her, Nixie asks, "What?" "Let him show you the beauty he sees in you. Let him."

Nodding after a moment, not sure what else to say to that, Nixie simply says, "Night Mer." "Goodnight Nixie."

Sighing, Nixie closes the door behind her, and then looks down at her ringing phone. Answering, she says, "Yeah." Derek answers, "Satomi's pack is dead. Most, if not all of it." Frowning, Nixie asks, "How? And since when is Satomi here? And how did we not know that?" "That might be better left for later. Right now, you need to know that they were all killed by some kind of poison. Which means…" Pinching the bridge of her nose, Nixie finishes for him, "Which means we have yet another assassin to contend with. Great. This is freaking fantastic."

Then he tells her he found Braeden among the bodies, and is taking her to the hospital. Nodding, Nixie says, "Keep me posted." "Will do."

Since she has her phone out, Nixie was about to call up Scott and ask for an update on Liam. That's when her entire body becomes frozen in a mixture of fear, shock, and heartache. And why?

Because the light, high-pitched, feminine voice from further up the hall says, "Why, my sweet little girl?! Has my sweet little girl come back to play?!"

Nixie turns her head slowly, both terrified to look, but unable to resist that temptation. She had not seen her mother in years.

Naomi Bennett was still the same. A bit older, and with a few more wrinkles here and there, but still as beautiful as what Nixie remembers. They were so much alike still, with their dark brown hair, blue eyes, and the same shorter stature about their person.

But the smile… it wasn't her mother's smile. It wasn't sweet, kind, or even truly happy. It was large and wide, like the Joker from Batman. And her eyes were wide and wild as they stared at Nixie. The closest comparison Nixie can think of when her mother is in this state, is still that of the character Norman Bates from the movie 'Psycho'. The part where you see him finally dressed up as his mother, knife in hand, charging and about to kill the woman in his fruit cellar.

And wouldn't you know it. Somehow, Naomi managed to pull a knife from the back of her sweatpants. Laughing, the sound becoming more deranged by the second, Naomi says in that sickeningly sweet voice, "Come on sweetheart! Let's play! You know you want to play!"

She has missed her mother, more than anyone could ever imagine. But even so… she knows what to do now. Her mother had told her, back when she'd had moments of clarity, to never come and play. To run away and not be caught.

And as Naomi steps forward now, Nixie does just that. She sprints in the other direction, hearing Naomi scream and take chase after her.

Nixie hadn't thought it was possible for this day to get any worse. But oh… how wrong she had most certainly been.

And this is Chapter 6. Stay tuned for the intermission. :P