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."

Epilogue

Nixie didn't realize that Jordan was driving slower than the others, just so he could have a minute alone with her. She thought he was just doing that so he didn't rattle the SUV more than necessary, since she'd claimed she needed to rest. Which, consequently, she wasn't. She was too nervous to get any rest.

Jordan finally sighs though, when he can only make out just a dot as a sign of where the vehicle is in front of them. Far enough in the distance that, even if the others turned back around, he would still have time to talk to Nixie alone and sort through at least some of what they needed to discuss. So he pulls over to the side of the road and puts the car in park.

Nixie looks up in confusion, not understanding why they suddenly stopped moving. But when she makes to get out of the car with Jordan, he turns to look at her and says, "No. You stay right there." Frowning, confused even more, she shuts her door again and waits to see what's going on. Then she blushes again when Jordan gets out, only to move so he's in the backseat with her. Then, for further emphasis, he locks all the doors so, even if someone comes back for them, they won't be able to get in and disturb them.

Looking at him again, calming her blush for a moment, Nixie asks, "What?" Jordan simply scoots over to the middle of the seat, closer to her. Then, with no preamble or anything else, he simply says, "We need to talk."

Nixie stares at him for a moment, and then raises an eyebrow and asks, "Here? You want to do this, here?" Jordan raises an eyebrow back at her and answers, "No. I wanted to do this on Friday. But then you got kidnapped, along with Scott and Kira. And then I found your bike, which nearly gave me a heart attack." Tilting his head at her, he then adds, "Now we've found you, and now you're alright. And unless you suddenly obtained a new, last minute assignment to work on from school… you should be free now. So, before anything else even remotely dangerous can happen… we are going to talk. Here."

Nixie starts blushing again, and then she also bites at her lower lip. Jordan lets out a slow breath before saying, "Nixie…" "I'm sorry I kissed you." "Why?" Looking back up at him, giving him a look that says it should be obvious, Nixie then huffs, "Because I did that when I thought I was dying. I honestly, at the time, thought you were just a hallucination. A dream or something. And I… it's embarrassing. And terrible."

Jordan tilts his head, and then grins a little before saying, "Well, I thought it was rather wonderful. Right up until we got to the part where you pulled away and said you didn't want to die, before you passed out again." She blushes even harder, and then says, "It… was not wonderful. You could not possibly have wanted to kiss me right then. I mean… maybe you don't ever. I was…" "God, you're an idiot."

He says it plainly, which is probably the part that surprises Nixie most. Then she narrows her eyes and says, "I am not…" "How's your back?" Blinking in confusion at the sudden change in topic, and at being cut off from defending herself, Nixie says, "Um… fine." "The berserker hurt you there again, right?" "Oh… yeah, he did. But then you… well, you did whatever you did to me, and everything's healed over now. Even my older wound on my back is completely healed over now." "Good."

And before Nixie can protest, or even fully realize what he's doing, Jordan reaches over to grip her right thigh in his left hand. Slipping his right arm behind her, he then lifts her up and pulls her over, until he has her shifted so she's sitting on top of him, straddling his lap in the backseat. Nixie's eyes widen exponentially at the new position, but as she tries to push against his shoulder, to keep some sort of distance between them, Jordan locks his arm behind her back, pressing until she's up against him and as close as she could possibly get right now.

Nixie still struggles a bit for a moment. Then Jordan's hand on her thigh slides up to her hip, and Nixie freezes for a moment. He doesn't tease that point though, or even playfully poke it. But rather, his thumb simply brushes against her there in a soothing manner. Then he says gently, "Now… I am going to tell you what I did to you back there. And hopefully, that'll clear up a lot of this, so you can stop trying to get away from me. Because I have to tell you, if you keep doing that, I might actually lose my mind at this point."

She gives him a look that says she doesn't believe that, but Jordan doesn't waver on his stance, so Nixie frowns a bit before settling on giving him her full attention. Moving so he can gently run his hand up her back in a comforting way, he says, "Deaton said that Scott, as your alpha, should've been able to reach you in the state you were in when we found you. But, when he tried at that didn't work, Deaton started trying to help us figure out who your mate was. And yes, you have a mate. Apparently, you might possibly be the only supernatural creature in existence that has a mate. But, as you're not eighteen yet, and you didn't know you were supernatural until a few weeks ago, no one expected you to understand how to know that yet."

Jordan then sits up a little straighter, which forces Nixie to be closer to him. Then he says, "And after Deaton took a minute to describe a few things, Lydia said that your mate would have to be me, because you're in love with me."

Nixie's entire face turns red at that, as well as the tips of her ears. She ducks her head, refusing to meet his gaze right now. But that turns out to be a mistake, and she gasps when she feels his lips against her ear as he continues talking. Grinning a bit, he says, "The others then gave me some space so I could talk to you. And do you know what I said?" "Wake up, dumbass?"

Jordan chuckles, and feels her shiver as his lips brush against her ear again. "No, Nixie. I got this close to you, right up to your ear, and I started telling you that I wanted to hear you tell me that you loved me yourself, before I put all my hopes on that. And then I told you that, even if it weren't true, I was very certain of one thing. More sure of it than I have ever been of anything in my whole life."

Softly, he says, "I told you I love you, Nixie Haven."

Nixie thinks her heart literally stops beating in her chest for about three seconds, before it starts up again at a rapid pace. Still right at her ear, Jordan says, "I told you that I love you more than I ever imagined possible. More than anything and anybody than I've ever met or known. And then I told you that you weren't allowed to die on me, not after you made me feel this way."

Sighing in relief, he leans back enough to see her face, and says, "And then you woke up… and everything in my world was right again."

For a moment, all Nixie can do is stare at him. Then she asks sarcastically, "And you're calling me an idiot?" Jordan tilts his head in confusion, but then grins when Nixie says, "I mean, why on earth would you ever doubt Lydia? She's literally a genius. I've told you this. Of course I love you."

She bites her lip after saying that last part, slightly nervous again. Jordan reaches up, cupping the back of her head in his hand and drawing her in closer. Letting out a heavy breath, he says, "I told you to stop that." Nixie nods that she remembers, and then slowly lets her lip slip back out from between her teeth. Then she asks daringly, "Why?"

Jordan couldn't have fought against it anymore after that, even if he'd actually wanted to. He didn't even merit her question with a verbal response. He just pulls her the rest of the way in, molding his lips to hers.

Nixie doesn't understand how a kiss can be tender and gentle, and yet also deep and passionate, at the same time. But it is. Sighing into his mouth, Nixie moves her hands from his shoulders to hold the back of his head, fingers weaving into his hair while she tries to pull herself even closer to him for a change. Since Jordan clearly didn't have to keep her locked against his body anymore, he slid his hands down to her thighs, and then began tracing up her sides with them. Over her hips, up her sides, across her back, and then back down again. And as he tilts his head, offering for a deeper kiss, he can't help a slight grin when Nixie takes complete and total advantage of it.

Air becomes a necessity after a while, and Nixie initially curses her need for oxygen when she pulls back. But Jordan hums in approval as her fingers continue running through his hair. Sliding his lips down to her neck, he kisses her there tenderly. Nixie's fingers grip the back of his head tighter in response, and as he reaches the smooth curve of her neck, they tremble against him. Smiling, Jordan then sucks gently against that sensitive spot, and takes great pride in the wistful sigh that escapes Nixie's lips from his attention.

When he finally pulls back, one last gentle kiss placed on her neck, Jordan says, "Now… since we have that settled finally, we need to sort out what we're going to do until you turn eighteen." Huffing, Nixie asks, "What is the deal with me and eighteen being this magical number? I mean… really?" Jordan chuckles, and then looks up at her when Nixie finally leans back.

Looking down at him, Nixie sighs and says, "I… don't know what you have in mind. Your patience, at least in my opinion, far exceeds mine. And I… I would rather not go back to simply dancing around each other. I…" Jordan nods and says, "Yeah, that's not an option. Ironically enough, wherever you happen to be concerned or involved, also happens to be where my patience is always most questionable."

Nixie laughs at that, and then leans into his hand when he reaches up to cup her cheek. Smiling, Jordan says, "We can't be together publicly though. Among your friends, we'll be fine. But to the public eye…" Nixie nods in understanding, "I know."

Jordan waits for her to say something else, and then smiles again when she says, "As long as we can squeeze in plenty of private time here and there, I can handle that if you can." Chuckling, Jordan says, "You can come to my house whenever you want. How's that for a start?" "Excellent. And I'm pretty sure Lydia would be all for us borrowing the lake house, if we ever needed to."

Jordan leans his head back to laugh, and then cards his fingers through her hair gently before saying, "We will make this work. Okay?" Nixie nods, and answers, "Yeah. Besides, I'm not really planning on giving you much of a choice." "Oh, is that right?" "Yep. I'm afraid you're just stuck with me now."

Nixie lets out a soft gasp when Jordan slips one hand beneath her camisole, just enough to touch the bare skin at her side. Grinning, giving her hip a gentle squeeze, Jordan says, "I can think of worse places to be stuck." Nixie smiles back, and then blushes again when Jordan adds, "By the way, this is by far, the skimpiest thing I've ever seen you wearing. And since this has to be what you were wearing on your way to see me… why were you dressed like this?"

He smirks as she blushes, and then she says, "Oh, shut up. Lydia picked it out. And I had a vest to go with it, but that damn berserker tore it off and ripped it to shreds. Which reminds me, I need a new vest." Frowning, she then adds, "And I need to pay to fix my bike. Shit. That's gonna…" Jordan shushes her and says, "Don't worry about the bike. Don't worry about anything right now."

Nixie meets his gaze, and then narrows hers and asks, "What did you do with my bike?" "That's a surprise." And as she raises her eyebrows at him, he chuckles and says, "You're not getting anything out of me until we get back home." But as Nixie somehow scoots closer, running her fingers through his hair again, she asks, "You sure about that?"

It was amazing how much more confidence she had, now that they had both made their feelings crystal clear. Jordan sighs at how amazing it feels, her fingers combing through his hair. Then he concedes, "No. You could probably get it out of me. But I would like it to be a surprise." Nixie smiles, and then says, "Fine. For the record though, it might take us a while to get moving on towards home again. I'm quite comfortable right now."

Chuckling, Jordan asks, "Is that right?" "Yep. Probably should've left me in my own seat." "I didn't enjoy that nearly as much." Nixie drops her head onto his shoulder while she laughs, and then slides her arms further around his neck. Jordan wraps his arms around her as well, holding her as tight as he can. Sighing, he says, "I was serious. Don't ever nearly die on me again." "I will do my utmost to try. I promise." "Good."

They stay like that for a few more minutes, and then Nixie sighs and says, "We should probably move. I'm about to fall asleep." Jordan smiles and kisses her neck gently before saying, "Maybe now you can lay down and actually get some sleep." "Doubtful. I'm moving up front with you. If that's okay?" "It sounds perfect."

Smiling, she kisses his cheek, and then says, "Okay. Um… let's…" But before she can move off of him, Jordan pulls her back into kiss her again. Sighing against his lips, she then jumps slightly and trembles when his thumbs gently sink into the hollows of her hips, swirling there in a teasing and tempting fashion.

When he finally pulls back again, he smiles and says, "Alright. Here." He helps her off of him, and then unlocks the doors and they both hop out from her side. As he opens the front passenger door for her, Nixie pauses at it and asks, "Why do you always open the door for me?" Jordan raises an eyebrow, and then says, "Because my grandmother taught me to always open doors for beautiful women that matter a lot to me." Nixie blushes, but then smiles and says, "I'd like to meet her someday. I think we'd get a long really well." "I have no doubt about that."

And Nixie does fall asleep about another hour into the ride. Jordan keeps her hand in his though, resting on the console between them. And as he looks over at her peaceful expression, nothing pleases him more than knowing he can make her feel so at ease. He makes her nervous, anxious, thrilled, and excited too. But it was nice to see that his presence also helped her relax. Much like her presence did for him.

It's a good thing, he knows that much. Because after this… well, Lydia still has a plan for letting everyone see Nixie's scars. And something tells Jordan that she is not going to be comfortable with it. Not one little bit.

Nixie pulls up at the Scott's house, school officially being over about a week ago, and a pack meeting… gathering… hang out day… whatever you wanted to call it. Anyways Scott had requested that everyone in the pack come to his house for the day, just to be together in a time when it didn't feel like the world was ending.

Coming up the steps, Nixie pauses just outside when she hears Kira from inside saying, "I don't know you guys. I mean… she promised to tell us about them, but I really don't think she's going to go for this. In fact… yeah, I really don't think this is our greatest idea." Stiles counters, "None of our ideas are ever our best ideas. Most of them, if not all of them, are downright dangerous and borderline idiotic. We've been through this."

Then Lydia's voice says, "She'll do this. We just, you know, have to promise that she doesn't have to stay dressed this way the whole time. Just long enough for us to see and hear about all of them." Scott agrees by saying, "Which is why Lydia asked Jordan to bring a spare shirt of his that she could change into."

So… if it hadn't already been obvious that they were talking about her beforehand, Nixie definitely knows they're talking about her now. Backing up a step, not liking where this was heading, she was about ready to sprint back down the stairs and to her bike.

She didn't even get to turn around. She managed three steps back, and then hands gently landed on her arms. Rubbing up and down soothingly, Jordan then asks softly, "Going somewhere?" "Yep. A place called 'Far, Far, Away'." Chuckling, he brushes her ponytail out of his way so he can kiss her neck. Nixie instantly tilts her head to the side so he can have more access, and he tugs gently against her skin with his lips in response.

He pulls back after a moment, and then says, "You'd only be putting off the inevitable. Best to get it over with." Sighing, Nixie says, "I know. I just… they seem to be very… very…" Jordan nods and says, "Worried? Yeah. You shouldn't be surprised by that though." "Why not? They're scars. I'm not hurt anymore." "But you were at one point, and you never told them. So be braced for the worry, shock, and maybe even a little bit of horror in their eyes as they see what's happened to you since all this started."

Nixie nods, and then leans back into him while saying, "You're only trying to convince me to stay because I haven't explained them all to you yet either." "Oh, absolutely. How did you ever figure out that master plan?" Grinning, Nixie adds, "Well, I am pretty smart you know." "Indeed."

Jordan kisses right beneath her ear and says, "Come on. Sooner you get it over with, the sooner we can all sit down and watch a movie." "Fine."

When she still doesn't move, Jordan gently nudges her forward, and then knocks on the door before wrapping his arms around her waist. Kissing the side of her head, he says, "It's going to be fine. They just want to see what you've been through for them." "They don't need to though! I'm fine now." "But you weren't." "So what?! Everyone's been hurt at some point or another."

The door opens, and as Scott looks Nixie over, he says, "But nobody's been hurt as much as you have. You've seen to that, personally." Nixie sighs and then says, "You're lucky Jordan showed up just a minute ago. Or I would've been gone already."

Scott smiles gently, and then says, "Come on in." And after they walk inside, she hears Scott whisper to Kira, "Maybe lock the door. Might delay her a bit." Giving him a look, Nixie rolls her eyes when he just shrugs impishly. Then Nixie turns around to see everyone else in the room.

And yes… it is everyone. Not just the core members of the pack. Noah, Melissa, both Kira's parents, Deaton, Chris, and even Derek and Braeden, before they were scheduled to take off again. Nixie looks around the room for a moment, and then looks to Lydia and says, "So… when you said everybody… you literally meant…" "Yep."

And then Nixie sees the skimpy little shirt that Lydia is holding. The straps are practically non-existent, just two pieces of string on either side. And the rest of the shirt is low cut enough as it is… and then the bottom half is missing.

Nixie stares at it for a moment, and then says, "That is not a shirt." "It's a halter top." She gives Lydia a look, "I say again, that is not a shirt. There is not enough material there to count as an actual piece of clothing." Lydia sighs and comes up to her. Hugging Nixie, Lydia says, "You only have to wear it long enough for us to see all of them. This just makes it easier. Please?"

Nixie glances at the rest of the room for a moment, and then sighs and says, "Fine. But I am very unhappy about this. Immensely, unhappy." Lydia nods, and then guides her into the kitchen to change while everyone waits. Jordan takes up a post in the doorway of the living room that leads across the hall from the kitchen. Scott moves to stand on his other side, and then says, "Thanks for keeping her here."

Jordan nods, but he's not actually thrilled about this either. Not necessarily concerning the part where everyone sees her scars. They needed to know… needed to see just how serious she was when she said she would die for them. He was not, however, pleased with the attire Lydia was planning on putting her in. In order for Jordan to even be able to tend to Nixie's wounds that he'd helped with, Nixie had been shirtless and her bra had to be unclipped. This wasn't like that… but this also wasn't just him and her. This was everyone.

So no… he wasn't thrilled with this. But, he did understand it's necessity.

When Nixie walks back in, her scars on almost full display, everyone in the room gasps, jerks, or stares at her in stunned silence. Even Lydia, who had helped her change, still had tears in her eyes from looking over Nixie's form.

She watches them all for a moment or two, trying to let them get their bearings. Then she finally says, "So… either someone starts asking me questions about them, or I'm changing back, right now."

Never the one to ever completely fail for words, Stiles says, "So… we're just gonna point and… you tell us how it happened. If we need more details, we'll ask. Sound good?" "Sure." Lydia gestures to her left shoulder at the front, and asks, "This one?" Sighing, Nixie says, "You do know how to pick em', don't you?"

Lydia shrugs helplessly, so Nixie smiles to assure her that she's not mad. Touching that scar gingerly, Nixie says, "My mother. The day she… officially snapped, for the first time." Everyone pauses for a moment at that. Then Kira points out her left bicep, and asks, "That was from when you saved Lori? Right?" Nixie nods, happy to have another one out of the way.

Scott draws her further into the room so everyone can see her back as well. Melissa, in particular, clamps a hand over her mouth, tears falling from her eyes when she sees the two long scars that stretch down her back from one side to the other. She gestures to them next, but can't bring herself to speak. So Scott gently touches both of them and asks, "These, Nix?" Nixie nods and says, "Um… the bottom one was from when I was chained up in the church. The top one…"

Nixie can't help glancing at Liam, who widens his eyes before standing up and saying, "I thought he missed you." "Yeah, not exactly." When Scott looks to Liam for an explanation, Liam says, "The night we medically killed you and were trying to catch the benefactor. Nixie came to join us on the roof to fight a berserker. She… I'm not even sure how she did it fast enough. One minute it looked like he was about to take my head off, and the next… Nixie was over top of me, protecting me."

He looks to Scott frantically and says, "I swear, I thought he missed her. If I… If I'd known I wouldn't have…"

Nixie snaps her eyes up to him, and then says, "Whoa, whoa! Back the train up!" Gesturing to him with a stern finger, she says, "You don't get to blame yourself for me jumping in front of you. That's not on you. I did it. I decided to do it. That is entirely on me. And don't you dare argue with me."

Then she turns to Scott. Giving him a firm look, she says, "No one is allowed to look at me and think any of this is their own fault. I swear to God I will change back and leave so fast, it'll be a miracle if you even see it happen."

Scott puts a hand on her shoulder and says, "Okay, Nix. We get it." Looking to everyone else, he asks, "Right?" They all nod, Liam included, and then Scott looks her over again. Gesturing to the scar on her right arm, he asks, "This one?"

Nixie glances down at it, and then also touches the scar resting higher up on her left side. "Both of these were from that berserker that found you guys at the school. At the beginning, when all this first started." Nodding, Scott then looks to the others, silently saying that someone else should ask next.

Jordan actually gestures towards her left hip and asks, "Where did that come from?" Nixie looks down to that, and then says, "Um… mom again. The day we got you to take us to Eichen to talk to Meredith." Tilting his head, Jordan asks, "And you didn't tell me about that?" "No."

At his stern gaze, she says, "Okay, look. First of all, you hadn't seen any of them at that point, and I still wasn't in a sharing mood about them. And second of all, compared to everything else, this was child's play. I am fine."

Jordan raises an eyebrow, and Nixie can feel that he's not entirely satisfied with that. But he lets it slide, turning his attention back to Scott so he knows that Jordan's done for now.

Melissa comes forward and gingerly touches near her right shoulder blade. Tracing over that one, she asks, "Nixie, where…" Nixie sighs and says, "That was Ennis, the freakishly tall alpha from the alpha pack. That night Scott wanted to try and go talk to Deucalion, which obviously didn't go over too well." Noah comes up beside Melissa and asks, "And what's this one on the back of your neck from? This small one?" Nixie answers, "That was Deucalion himself. He left that when he was seeing into my mind."

Scott and everyone already know that the other three higher up on her neck are from him when they entered Stiles' mind to save him from the Nogitsune. Speaking of which, Scott spots the scar on her lower back, incredibly close to the base of her spine. Touching it, he's about to ask about that one, when Nixie grips his elbow and whispers, "Not now." "Nix…" "Not in front of Stiles."

Scott looks to her for a moment in confusion, but then realizes why she doesn't want that. And he would've let it go… he really would have.

Except Stiles saw the communication between them, and instantly moved forward. Finding what Scott was looking at, Stiles asks, "Where is that one from?" "Stiles, I…" Moving in front of her, he says, "Nixie, you promised. No more secrets. No more hiding. Just… tell me. Where did it come from?"

Nixie stares at him for a moment more, and then reaches up to put a firm hand on his shoulder. Squeezing, she says, "It… was from the very first time you gave the Nogitsune control over your mind. He forced you to let him take over, and let him in. And he did that… by threatening me. I think I told you that he roughed me up a bit or maybe hit me really hard, but that… he, um… well, he cut into me right there and threatened to move the blade over and cut into my spinal cord, unless you gave him dominance over your mind."

Stiles stares at her for so long, Nixie worries that he's about to just fall down in the floor. But then he says softly, "I hurt you." "No… no! Stiles, no! He hurt me. The Nogitsune, hurt me. Not you." "Nixie, he was me." "He was never you. Remember? I could always tell the difference. You were never anything alike."

Scott puts a hand on Stiles' other shoulder, and says, "She's right." Stiles looks up at him, and then back to Nixie. Sighing, he says, "I'm still sorry." "I know. And that's why I didn't want you to hear about it." "And I get that one, I really do, Nix. But we need to know about these things. God… look at you."

Nixie does, and then shrugs and says, "I think I still look pretty good." Stiles laughs at the joke, but when Nixie looks over at Jordan, he lets his eyes slowly rake over her from top to bottom. When he gets back to her eyes, he smirks and winks at her, which does nothing to help Nixie settle down any faster.

Malia was about to ask why her heart was racing faster now, but Noshiko beats her and asks, "What about this one?" Nixie glances down towards her right hip, and then says, "Yeah, that would be the alpha with the severally creepy toe nails. Seriously. She was a bit freaky."

Lydia nods in agreement, and then points to the left side of her stomach. The larger crescent shape was smoother than the other one, but Lydia wanted to know about this knew was first. Nixie touches it and says, "That's also from the berserker in the church when I was chained up. And just for the record, there's a cut on my right thigh too, but I'm not stripping out of my pants for you to see it. Just… trust me, it's there."

Everyone offers up a little laugh, and then Lydia gently reaches up to touch the scar that extends from her right collar down towards the center of her chest. Tracing it a bit, Lydia asks, "This one?" Nixie sighs and says, "That was… well, I'm not sure exactly who it was. Either Gerard or one of the men with him. They um… they…" Stiles crosses his arms and says, "Full disclosure, Nix."

She gives him a look, but then sighs again before saying, "They strapped me down to a table and one of them carved that into me. This was the night when Gerard was trying to kidnap you, and I forced him to take me instead."

Stiles pinches the bridge of his nose at that, but it was Chris who suddenly shouted, "What?!" Nixie jumps and asks, "What do you mean, 'what'? And quit shouting." "Nixie, I found you that night, after you helped Boyd and Erica escape. Why didn't you tell me?" "Because I had already patched myself up, and I was fine. And I needed to get to Scott and the others so I could help stop Gerard from becoming an even worse supernatural creature than Kate is."

Pointing at her, Chris says, "But that's not all they did to you. Did they do that before or after they tried electrocuting you?" Nixie grits her teeth as the rest of the room jerks or gasps in shock. Stiles points to Chris and says, "Thank you for that. I'd almost forgotten Brunski mentioning that to us before he tried to kill us."

Lydia nods in agreement, and then says, "He said they electrocuted you for as long as it took for you to go unconscious. And that you never screamed… not once the whole time." Nixie nods, and when Stiles looks at her like she's crazy, Nixie says, "What?! It's what he wanted, and I didn't want to give him the satisfaction. So there."

Scott runs a hand through his hair and says, "They really hurt you." Nixie looks at him and says, "I am tougher than I look. You know that by now. I can take a lot." Scott flashes his red eyes at her and says, "Do not keep these things from us again. Ever." Nixie stares at him a moment more, but then nods and says, "I promise."

And finally, Lydia touches the crescent shaped scar on the right side of her stomach. Much cruder than the one left by the berserker, Lydia asks, "And this… this one was Peter?" Nixie nods, and then sighs before looking over at Stiles. Gesturing to him, she says, "The night Peter almost killed Lydia. When he kidnapped you and I came after you." Stiles nods, and then freezes when Nixie asks, "You remember how I told you to leave and I would be right behind you?" "Yeah." "Well… I wasn't as directly behind you as I would've liked."

To Scott, Nixie says, "He offered me the bite… to join him. I basically told him to go to hell. He was going to bite me anyway… but I took him down a few pegs." When that clearly isn't enough for them, Nixie elaborates, "I kneed him in the balls, punched him in the gut and face. Then I found a crowbar nearby and wailed on him for a good minute. I was trying to make him go unconscious… but that didn't work. He wolfed out on me and pinned me to the ground. Well… after he threw me into one of the concrete wall. And then… he carved this into my stomach."

Stiles flails and asks, "And we didn't need to know about that?!" Nixie glances at him, but then turns back to Scott and says, "It was… supposed to be a message. To you. It was supposed to show you that he could get to us at any time, whenever he wanted, and that if you didn't join him, he would do worse. And… well, ever after we managed to kill him… I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of having it delivered."

Scott nods after a moment, and then shakes his head in disbelief and says, "I just… I can't believe no one's known. This entire time." Nixie ducks her head at that, but then concedes, "Not… everyone. I… one person found out." "Who?"

Lydia pipes in softly, "Alison."

Everyone goes quiet after that, until Noshiko asks, "Is that all of them?" Nixie takes a moment to take personal inventory of herself, and then nods and says, "Yeah. Yeah, that's everything. Now, will someone please give me a better shirt to wear?"

Lydia gives her a look, but then turns to Deaton and asks, "Don't you have questions for him?" "About being a dragon? Sure. But can't I ask them in a shirt that actually counts as shirt? Geez."

Everyone laughs a bit, though some are still a bit in shock at her appearance, at all the scars she has that they never knew existed before. But while everyone was already up for Nixie putting a normal shirt back on, Stiles was still looking her over with a scrutinizing gaze. Back up to her face, he asks, "What about when Jackson was a kanima? You don't have any scars from him?" Nixie shakes her head, "No. He never actually hurt me." "Nixie! He slammed your head down on the side of the pool, and nearly drowned you!"

Nixie takes a moment to ponder that, while the rest of the room freezes immediately. Scott was the only other one who already knew that, along with Derek. But everyone else is gaping at her again. Then Nixie sighs and says, "In my defense, I'd sort of forgotten about that. But I don't have a scar from that. I just… had a really bad headache for a while."

Stiles gives her a look and says, "Scott and I had to perform CPR to make sure you didn't die, Nixie. You did not just have a headache for a while." Nixie gives him a look back, and then gentles her expression. "Stiles, I don't have any scars from that. It happened, and it sucked. But you guys saved me, and I got over my headache. So, we're all fine now. Yippee."

To try and lighten the mood more, and also to change the subject, Nixie turns to Deaton and asks, "So… I'm a dragon? That's an actual thing?" Nodding, he says, "Yes, my dear." "So… do I get wings out of this deal? Because that would be pretty great." Chuckling in earnest now, he says, "I'm afraid I couldn't say. It's possible, I suppose." "Come on, Doc. I'm a dragon! I have to have wings. And if I don't get them… well, then I'm going to find a way to sue the supernatural, as a whole, for gipping me."

No one goes back to being fully happy yet… but it's a start when everyone laughs again. Lydia rolls her eyes, and then says, "Yeah, well, you better hold off on that. You don't officially have access to everything until you're eighteen." "And again, I have to ask, what is it with eighteen being this magical number for me? Seriously, it's everywhere. And since it's everywhere, Noah, you and I should have a very serious discussion about when I'm legally allowed to drink."

Noah raises an eyebrow and says, "Yeah, that's gonna be a no." "Ah, come on." But she smiles at him, and then turns back to Deaton. "So… what happens then? When I turn eighteen? Like, am I going to need to lock myself up on full moons or anything like that?" "No, Nixie. The moon has no sway over you, the way it does werewolves. And I don't think you'll have a problem controlling your abilities, so long as you and your dragon can see eye to eye on a quick basis. And I don't think you'll have any issues with that either. At least, we can hope." "Amen to that. And how do you know all of this?" "I've been reading. And will continue to do so, in the hopes that I can help you prepare for what comes next." "Sweet. Thanks, Doc."

Nixie then addresses the rest of the room, asking, "So… can we eat now? And for the love of all things holy, can I please put on a different shirt. Because this… yeah, this is definitely not me." While others are chuckling, Melissa says, "Alright. Pizza's in the kitchen. Let's all get some and then pop in a movie."

And then everyone groans when Nixie says, "You can never go wrong with a Clint Eastwood film. Just throwing that out there."

She grins at everyone's groan, and then waits for most of them to exit the room before turning her eyes to Jordan. Coming up to him after that, she asks softly, "Do you… have a shirt I could borrow?" Smiling gently, he nods and pulls out the one that he's had hanging out of his back pocket since he arrived. Helping her slip it on, he chuckles at her instant relief, and then asks, "You okay?"

Nixie nods, and then looks up at him shyly and asks, "You?" He takes a deep breath, and then says, "It worries me… that you've been hurt so much. And how you've been hurt and why. I… You're brave and I don't want to demean that. But Nixie… you have to be more careful." Cupping her face in his hands, he says, "I can't lose you. At all, but much less to something as ridiculous as you drowning."

Nixie points at him upon that comment and says, "Okay, in my defense, I really had forgotten about that. Or… not forgotten, but pushed to the back of my mind. And I only nearly drowned because he slammed my head down hard enough to knock me unconscious." "Nixie, that does not make it any better." Nixie nods after a moment, and then says softly, "I will try to be more careful. But I will always, without fail, protect my friends and family. I cannot change that, or promise to act any differently in that respect." Jordan nods and says, "I know. I understand." "Good."

She kisses him lightly after that, and them smiles and whispers, "Brace yourself. Noah at your nine o'clock."

And as he walks up to both of them, Noah points and says, "Alright. Deaton explained to me that you guys are mates and all. And I respect that. But as sheriff, I still have half a mind to not let either of you out of my sight, and to put a ruler between you two, even now. And you, Nixie… I've considered trying to ban you from the station, unless it's an absolute emergency."

Nixie shrugs and says, "We always have an emergency. I don't think you'd be able to make that stick very well. Just saying." Deaton comes up to stand with them and says, "I don't mean to argue too much with the sheriff of Beacon Hills. I know what the law says. And yes, the age difference between them, for right now, is a problem." To Nixie and Jordan, he stresses, "You will have to be careful."

They both nod, already knowing that. Then Deaton looks to Noah and says, "But… as far as keeping them apart… that won't be possible. Nixie can't be cut off from him."

And though not necessarily the worst news she's ever heard, Nixie frowns and asks, "Why?" Then she immediately turns to Jordan and adds, "Not that having to be near you is ever going to be a bad thing. It's more, like, a bonus, shall we say." Jordan chuckles, but then nods in agreement when Nixie asks again, "But why?"

Deaton answers, "Because of who you are, Nixie. And because he is your mate. You know that he's yours now, and so does the dragon inside. You could go a day, maybe two for right now, without seeing or hearing from him. And you'd still be fine. But any more than that… and your mind, as it always tends to do, would begin wondering what was wrong, why you hadn't seen him, if he was in trouble… and the list goes on. All the questions you usually ask about Lydia when no one has seen her within six hours… you will eventually ask about him."

Nixie nods, and Deaton continues, "And because he is your mate, that restlessness you feel when you can't find your friends. That feeling of needing to be close by to protect them… it'll be stronger where Jordan is concerned. It's amplified, because he is yours." Then to Noah, Deaton says, "Even if you tried to lock her away from him… she'd eventually just break down every door she had to, in order to see him and verify for herself that he was still okay. Even if, on some level, she is perfectly aware that he's fine. As I've been saying. The dragon is a very visual creature."

Noah stares at Deaton for a moment, and then says, "So… basically, what you're telling me is that I can't tell the two of them to stay completely apart until she's eighteen." Deaton nods, though he cautions again, "You can tell them to be careful. Though I'm sure they are already well aware. But no… keeping them apart would not work, nor would it be a good idea."

Noah turns his attention to Nixie, and then huffs before chuckling, "Don't give me that look. You know perfectly well that I'm not going to actually ban you from seeing him. Just… keep the public displays of affection at a bare minimum. Hugs are fine, because you hug everyone, but nothing more."

Nixie smiles up at him and nods her consent. Then, for emphasis on the hugging, she moves forward and wraps him up in a tight hug. Noah laughs and gives her a gentle pat on the head before saying, "Alright. Go eat, the both of you." But before they can walk into the kitchen, Nixie freezes when Deaton says, "Someone should also bring to mind the time when Nixie practically gave herself an actual heart attack from being Alison, Stiles, and Scott's emotional tethers."

Jordan pinches the bridge of his nose and says, "Nixie…" "I know, I know! But I don't have a scar from that either! I forgot… well, okay, not forgot. I just…" "Pushed it to the back of your mind? Yeah, got it. Out of curiosity, just how far back am I going to have to dig before I actually hear everything that's happened to you?"

Nixie ponders that a moment, and then Jordan can't help chuckling when she says, "Yeah, we should maybe get Scott to help with that. He and Stiles have been here for everything at this point. They should know what I'm leaving out. Hopefully."

After that, they went about getting food. And Nixie didn't realize that everyone else had already left the room. Not until Jordan's hands suddenly land on her hips. Nixie gasps in surprise as his lips find the curve of her throat, teasing her there with a smirk on his face. Nixie sighs at first, but then turns around to face him and says, "Jordan! Everyone is right in the other room." He nods, but seems undeterred. Then he simply holds a finger up to his lips before leaning down to press his lips against hers.

Nixie sighs again, and discards her plate of pizza onto the counter so her hands can wrap around his shoulders. Jordan braces his hands on the island behind her, trapping her there with his arms on either side. But after he pulls back for a second, Nixie can't help but grin when his hands lift to find her face, drawing her in for more. He tilts his head and traces her lips with the tip of his tongue. And he smirks again when Nixie trembles at the action.

She does manage to push away from him a bit though. A hand pressing against his chest, she says, "Jordan, you know I love kissing you. But there are werewolves in there that can hear all these kissing noises, if they care to try." Jordan shrugs carelessly and says, "Then I guess they should choose to ignore us and the sounds we're making."

Nixie laughs, and then leans forward to kiss him again. He hums in approval against her lips, and then smiles when she drops back down, only to rest her head on his chest. Breathing him in deeply, Nixie says, "We can do this. Right?" Jordan nods and Nixie can feel him kiss the top of her head before he says, "Yes, Nixie. We can, and we will, do this."

Nixie smiles and hugs him tighter. Then she leans back and says, "By the way, Noshiko already told me that you are welcome to come to their house as often as you'd like. But, there will be no hanky-panky in her house. Those are Ken's words, not mine."

Jordan raises an eyebrow at that, but then tilts his head curiously before asking, "Hanky-panky huh? Now… I wonder what all exactly falls under that category?" As his eyes find hers, he can't help grinning when her eyes widen as he moves towards her again. She backs up to the counter across the room, and then blushes a bit when Jordan traps her there again. He just puts his arms on either side of her, his hands braced against the counter behind her.

Tilting his head again, he asks, "Do you think this would count?" Nixie narrows her eyes at him, but there's no real heat in her gaze. Then she shrugs and says, "I mean… technically we're just standing here, so I guess we'd be okay." Nodding, Jordan moves his hands to her hips, squeezing there gently before smoothing his hands up her sides and back down again. Repeating the process, he asks, "And if I do this?" Nixie had already started relaxing into his touch, and she sighs before saying, "I think we'd still be okay. That feels really nice by the way."

Jordan presses a kiss to her forehead while continuing the action. Then he chuckles when Nixie says, "That'll be fine too. Everyone gives me kisses on the head, so I don't see how they could ban you from doing that." Jordan nods, and then presses a kiss to her temple, which counts as they same thing in Nixie's eyes.

Then he gets to her ear, and as he nips at the lobe teasingly, he feels Nixie's breath hitch. Smirking, he asks, "And what about that?" Her words already sound breathless when she says, "Um… probably not. Though that's more my fault. Pretty sure I make it look worse than it is. Plus, if they try to have a conversation with me right now… yeah, this would not be okay."

Jordan nods, but he's not done yet. And Nixie can feel his smirk on his lips as he moves across her skin, before it vanishes so he can start planting open-mouthed kisses on the curve of her neck. Sucking tenderly at the tender curve there, feeling her tremble in his hands, he asks softly, "And this?"

Nixie's hands, which she'd managed to keep at her side for the rest of this, move up to grip at his sides, as though trying to keep him where he is. He tugs a little harder at the curve of her neck in response, smiling when her hands tremble as a result. Then she says breathlessly, "Um… definitely not okay. I'm pretty sure me panting is not something they want to hear."

Jordan lets out a soft laugh at that, but he's still not finished. And Nixie finds herself both wishing he'd stop, and then also wishing that he'd never quit, at the same time. She couldn't explain it. Of course, she'd never really dated, so she didn't have a lot of experience knowing what she did and didn't like. Consequently, Jordan found that to be just another fascinating thing about her.

And one thing they'd both found, was that Nixie absolutely loved when his lips would pull and suck seductively at her skin. She loved his lips on her at all, but that in particular was a favorite. And if he added his teeth, at all, into the mix, she became like putty in his hands.

So rather than releasing her right now, Jordan decides to be mean. He knows they've been in here far longer than anyone else. He knows that there is no way that the others don't already know what Jordan and Nixie are doing at this point. And he doesn't care.

And as he begins nibbling at her neck, trailing up the firm column that is her throat and back down again, Nixie finds that she can't bring herself to care either. At least, not about moving any time soon. She does bite her lip, hard, trying to avoid alerting anyone in the other room to exactly what they're doing.

A tiny moan escapes her lips anyway, and Jordan smirks again before returning to the curve and nipping and sucking there with abandon.

Nixie finally manages to put a hand against his chest and push him back from her. Not far, but far enough that he can't kiss her again right now. Meeting her narrowed eyes, he simply grins, completely unrepentant. And all Nixie can do is laugh before saying, "You are not supposed to be tempting me into breaking laws with Noah directly in the other room." Jordan shrugs and says, "Sorry." "Oh, you most certainly are not." But she laughs again, and Jordan can't help smiling down at her.

When he comes forward again, Nixie's hand on his chest is ineffective. Not that she was trying to still keep him away anyways. Finding her lips with his once more, he gives her a gentle kiss before beginning to pull away.

He should've known that wouldn't happen though. Soon as he began backtracking, Nixie's hands moved up to grab hold of his head, pulling him back to her. And as she tilted her head for a deeper kiss, parting her lips in invitation, Jordan gives a soft groan of approval. Her arms wrap around behind his neck, pulling them even closer together.

She is surprised when Jordan bends down a little further, his hands slipping down to her thighs. And then he picks her up and sets her down on the counter that he'd had her pinned against a moment ago. He pulls her thighs to wrap around his waist and then slides his hands to roam over her back, sides, arms, and thighs. Nixie's fingers weave into his hair, tugging gently, but in no real effort to make him quit.

Nixie could've stayed there all day, if she's honest. But they both finally pull apart when they hear Noshiko clear her throat loudly from the doorway. Jordan lets his head land on Nixie's shoulder, while she looks over at Noshiko, a blush already rapidly rushing through her skin.

But, as far as the parents went, Noshiko was the most understanding and lenient with them. A gentle smile on her face, she says, "They are waiting on you to start the film. And I have been told to inform you that it is a Clint Eastwood movie."

And Jordan couldn't have stopped laughing if he'd wanted to, when Nixie says, "Tell them they can go ahead and start it. I've seen all his films. Besides, do I look like I care about Clint Eastwood that much right now?" Noshiko grins as well, and then nods before exiting the room.

Nixie would've gone right back to kissing Jordan after that, except they both couldn't help laughing when they heard Stiles exclaim, "What?! What is he doing to her in there that makes her not want to watch Eastwood?!"

Jordan lifts his head to look at Nixie, and then he chuckles when she says, "So… for the record, this would definitely not be okay. The first one, where you kissed me softly, would be fine. After that though, you'd probably be banned from the house for a week… or a month. I'm not really sure how strict Ken is going to be on that." Jordan nods, then raises an eyebrow and says, "For the record, the rest of this that happened beyond that soft kiss… that was all your fault."

Nixie shrugs, non-repentant, and says, "Show some will power, Jordan." "Oh, excuse me?" He tickles her sides for two seconds, laughing when she jerks and clamps her hands down over his to stop him. She narrows her eyes at him, but he just shrugs and then gently picks her up off the counter to set her back on her feet.

Kissing the top of her head, he asks, "Alright. You ready to eat?" "I've been ready to eat. Like, yesterday, I was ready. You have just been, very effectively, distracting me." "Is that right? Well, please forgive me." "I suppose." She kisses his cheek and smiles before grabbing her plate and waiting for him to get his. And then she refuses to meet anyone else's gaze when the walk back into the living room.

Lydia, however, is the only one who looks at them with a smirk of her own. The others, whether because they want to give Jordan and Nixie a little space, or because they felt Nixie had been through enough today; they decided to just go ahead and start the movie.

And as it plays, Nixie looks around the room at everyone; at all her friends and family. The parents were all at a table in the dining room portion of the room, which was near the back. Talking and chatting, and playing a card game from the looks of it. Stiles and Malia were sitting in a chair in the corner, Malia curled up so she was half in Stiles' lap. And every time she began nibbling at his neck, Stiles would begin to sort of scramble a bit in surprise, before he'd then grip her tighter, an encouragement for her to continue.

Kira and Scott were occupying the other half of the couch that Nixie and Jordan weren't sitting on. And Kira was tossing up a piece of popcorn for Scott to catch in his mouth. When it lands on his chest instead, they both laugh silently, and then Kira picks it up and feeds it to him. Lydia is sitting in another rocking chair in the opposite corner, where a lamp also sits so she can turn it on if she feels like reading at some point. Liam, bless his soul, is sitting on a large bean bag in the floor, which had been brought down from Scott's bedroom to create enough space for everyone to sit.

Even Derek and Braeden were still here, though they had already made it apparent that, after seeing all of Nixie's scars, they were returning to Mexico. And they both had Nixie's number, and strict instructions to at least send a text, at least once a week, so Nixie could be aware that they hadn't died.

Nixie then tilts her head back to look up at Jordan, only to find his eyes already on her. She tilts her head at him, so he glances around briefly at everyone else before coming back to her. Then he tilts his own head, obviously asking if anything was wrong.

Her smile tells him no, and then she comes closer. Leaning down so she can whisper in his ear, he smiles when she says, "I'm just very happy. We're all here. We're all safe. And for now, nothing else is trying to kill us."

Jordan nods, and then slips his arm around her as she moves to rest her head on his chest. Snuggling in there, she smiles when he tightens his grip around her, pressing her even closer against him. Then he whispers softly, just for her, "I love you, Nix." "I love you too, Jordan."

She feels a kiss land on top of her head, and Nixie can't help smiling wider. Because yes, this moment of peace, wasn't going to last forever. Trouble would come again, and it would be at least just as bad, or maybe even worse than this time.

But with her family… her pack, all working together to figure it out…

With Jordan by her side as her mate, and the love of her life… Nixie knows they can do it. Come hell or high water, they can and will handle anything and everything this supernatural world can throw at them.

And it's finished! Ta Da! I do hope you enjoyed this version of Season 4. I had fun writing it, so I'm pretty pleased with it. What do you think?

Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read this. It's my longest story yet, which I know, can sometimes make the story seem daunting. I appreciate all of you. :)

I'm still leaving Season 5 alone for now. I'm still rather happy with that one and how it turned out, even before I went back to the first three seasons. So now, it's on to Season 6. I have no idea when I'll get to work on that, or when it'll be finished. But rest assured, that should be what's coming next. :)