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

Chapter 4: Episode 5x14

Jordan stares at the bodies being wheeled into the morgue. It's worse than his dream. At least his dream hadn't been real yet. But this… this was definitely a nightmare.

"Parrish, look at me." He turns to the sheriff and Noah says, "I know what you're thinking. The dream's coming true. It's not." "Sheriff, there's twenty-three bodies. Twenty-three of them!" "Which means you're going to go back to the station and you're gonna go through every missing persons report for the past two weeks. That's what we do."

Jordan glances back at the bodies, but then nods when Noah asks, "You got it Parrish?" He starts to walk away, but pauses and asks, "How's Nixie?" Noah looks at him and says, "She's hanging in there, same as all of us." "Has she… I mean…" Noah smiles gently and says, "She always asks about you Parrish. She asked about you before you were a couple, she asked about you all last year, and over the summer. And yes, she asks about you now." "I never see her." "She's skilled at not being found if she doesn't want to be." "Can you please tell her I'm worried about her? And that I need to see her?" "Sure thing Parrish."

No sooner had the deputy gone then the elevator doors opened. Stiles scrambles out and says, "Do not ever hit the stop button again." Noah looks at Nixie, who ducks her head down. Sighing, Noah says to the other three, "Parrish was just here." Stiles blinks, and then turns back to Nixie and says, "If this doesn't end soon, and I do mean soon, I'm going to lock the two of you in a closet together until you get over whatever this is you have going on with him."

Then he turns back to his dad and asks, "Who found them?" Noah glances back at the bodies, and then says, "Argent. And he said the doctors were down there. He also said you guys might know what this thing is." Scott nods and says, "We've got a theory." Stiles adds, "It's a slightly terrifying theory." And Nixie tacks on, "Not so slight. Let's just go with terrifying. Very terryfing."

Noah nods to her and says, "Well, the M.E. said that the victims were killed somewhere else and then dumped in those tunnels." Scott looks to Stiles and asks "What if the dread doctors are hiding the bodies?"

Kira looks at him and asks, "Why would they do that?" Stiles suggests, "Maybe they're covering for it. Protecting it like a parent would." Nixie comments, "Or like some deranged scientists would who don't want their little creation to be found out before he's actually altogether and complete." Stiles turns to her and asks, "What do you mean?" "I mean Damnatio Memoriae. This thing still doesn't remember who it was once before. And I'm betting there are going to be a lot more missing people that are actually dead and hidden in tunnels, before this thing is actually at a point that they are satisfied with."

Noah looks between them and asks, "And what exactly is it?" Scott answers, "A werewolf." Kira nods, and then explains, "It's called the Beast." At Noah's stunned look, Stiles says, "We know. Horrifying."

Noah then looks to Nixie and says, "Well, we better figure out what we're gonna call your boyfriend. Because it looks like his dream is coming true." And as they others head off in one direction, Noah holds Nixie back. "Parrish says that he's worried about you and that he really needs to see you." Nixie sighs and says, "I… after Noah. After we get…" "Nixie, what if he doesn't have until after."

Blinking and turning to face him, she asks, "What do you mean?" "I mean, we still don't know what he is, but he's not exactly up to snuff. He thinks his dream is coming true, and he thinks he's part of the reason why. And I know you don't think you can handle seeing him, but he needs to see you. Even if it's only for a few minutes."

She stares at him a moment more, and then nods and says, "I'll figure something out." "Good. Now get going. All of you have missed enough school days as it is." She nods and takes off after her friends.

"You're kidding right?" Theo sighs and says in response to Malia's question, "Look, I promised I'd help and I will." "That's supposed to help me find Deaton?" Theo glances down at the needle in his hand, and then says, "No. Something in the dread doctors' operating theater is going to do that. I can take you there, but I can't let you see where it is." "Ever hear of a blindfold?" "Not one that works on a werecoyote."

Malia gives the needle a look and asks, "What's in it?" "Wolfsbane. The same kind they used on Liam. It won't last and there's no permanent side effects." Glaring at him, she asks, "Why should I trust you?" "You shouldn't. But I'm sure your precious Nixie already told you that."

Malia snarls and Theo chuckles and asks, "Seriously. What is she? What is it about her that makes her so important to all of you?" "It's not about what she is. She was this important before we even knew she was supernatural." Theo blinks in surprise at that, and then asks, "Then… what…" "She cares about us. And I don't mean like normal. We're used to that. Everyone has that. Not everyone has Nixie. A person who will literally die for you, take the bullet for you. She hands her number out to everyone, and demands that we call her for even the slightest thing. And even if it's just help with homework, she's never annoyed."

Nodding to herself, she says, "She becomes what you need her to be, as readily as she will jump in front of you to fight for you when you can't. And that was what she did before we knew what she was. That's why she matters to us."

Theo steps forward and asks, "Then why didn't any of you listen to her when she said not to trust me?" Malia glares, but then answers, "I don't know. But I do know one thing." Stepping up to him, she says, "After we're done with this, I will never make that mistake again. Do it."

And he stabs her in the neck with the needle, sinking the wolfsbane into her system to knock her out until he can get her to the lab.

"By order of the sheriff, a county-wide curfew goes into effect tonight at sundown. All after-school activities are canceled until further notice. Students should go directly home at the end of the school day."

Nixie walks with Scott down the hall, eyes widening at the two deputies they pass carrying shot guns. Making their way to Stiles who is talking to another deputy, they hear him ask, "You don't think this is a bit much in terms of firepower for a high school?"

The deputy shrugs and says, "You dad's the one who issued us these things, and he wouldn't officially say why." Scott asks, "Did he say anything unofficially?" "No, but everyone's got a theory." Stiles and Nixie look at each other, and then he asks, "What's yours?" "I shouldn't be talking to you guys. Don't you have class?"

Nixie holds up a finger and says, "One. And not right now." He glances at her in surprise, and then Nixie says, "Come on Strauss. Just out with it. What's your theory?" He glances around, and then leans in closer and asks, "Do you guys believe in the supernatural?"

They all three look at each other, and then as they get ready to part ways, Nixie spots Jordan far up the hall. He's got his own shotgun with him, and he's making a round. Patting Stiles on the shoulder, she says, "I'll catch up with you guys later."

Jordan was about to turn a corner when something bumped his elbow. Looking over, about to apologize, he froze when he saw Nixie. She glances at him, and then hurries on down the hall.

He follows.

She finds an empty hall, and then an empty class. Stepping into it, making sure she wasn't seen, she waits.

Not even two minutes later, Jordan came in the door. Setting his gun down after shutting and locking the door behind him, he turns to her and says, "Talk to me. Please." "Jordan…" "I don't know what I did or why you think what you think, but just talk to me. Tell me how to fix this. I'll do whatever you want. I'll never speak to Lydia again… anything."

She stands up from the desk she was leaning against and says, "Jordan…" "Nixie, please." "Jordan, listen." He pauses, and she sighs and says, "I… I'm not entirely certain that you're the problem. I think it's me." Tilting his head in confusion, he asks, "What do you mean?" "I mean… you and Lydia have always been close. Part of that is because of me, because she's my best friend, so she kind of has to be yours too. Part of it is probably the banshee and… whatever you are, thing. You have a connection there that I can't touch. I'm not a harbinger of death. I'm a dragon."

Stepping up to him, she says, "I… I can't explain it completely. I tried with Stiles, but I'm not sure I did very well. It's like… like my mind keeps going in two different directions, and I can't ever seem to pick and stick with just one. Part of me knows it's stupid to think Lydia would take you from me, or that you would do that to me. And another part of me… another part just can't help but… but to see the possibility there."

"Nixie, there is no possibility there! I don't love Lydia! I love you!" And regardless of anyone that might see them, or if there are even cameras in the school anymore, he grabs her head in his hands and drags her to him.

She's not sure how great this kiss works for him, but for her, it was like she could suddenly breathe again. And considering she hadn't been aware she was choking, it was somehow an even more incredible feeling. Lifting her hands to his hair, she weaves her fingers through it and he moans helplessly into her mouth. She had missed him, but he had obviously missed her just as much, if not more.

She gasps when his hands find her thighs and he lifts her to sit on the edge of the desk behind her. Back to her head, he holds her where he wants her, slipping his tongue into her mouth and claiming what's his. And when she moaned, he swears he heard fireworks somewhere in the distance.

When she finally pulls back to breathe, he slides down to her neck and kisses her there, sucking and tugging and damn near working a hickey into her neck. "Jordan… Jordan… we're in school. Jordan… oh Jordan…"

He eases up on her neck, but does not for an instant let her go. Sighing against her cool skin, he says, "What do you need?" "I don't know." When he pulls back to look at her, she shakes her head and says, "I really don't. I need to talk to Deaton, but he's still not here. But I think… I think Malia is working on that."

Jordan nods, and then asks, "And Lydia?" "We're… we're getting to her too. It's just… it's taking a little more time than any of us would like. We kind of need everyone if we're going to have a chance at getting her back."

He nods again, and then kisses her soundly again before finally releasing her from his hold. Gazing down at her, he smiles a little and says, "I ruined your hair." And as conflicted as she is inside, she still laughs a little and says, "Yeah, I figured. I think I'll live though. There's a bathroom right around the corner." Jordan nods, and then lets her fix his hair before he says, "You go out first. I'll wait."

She nods, and then Jordan asks, "Did you get the flowers?" "Yeah. Well, Ken did and he gave them to me. I moved to the lake house." "I know. I've been sending them there too since Ken told me." She blinks at that, and then says, "Oh. Right. Sorry."

Jordan narrows his eyes at her from behind, but doesn't press it right now. She walks to the door and has her hand on the knob. Turning back to him, she says, "I'll let you know when we have a plan to get Lydia. We're going to need all the help we can get. You included." "Alright."

And then she walks out the door and heads to the bathroom to tidy her hair and straighten her shirt. In the mirror, she looked brighter. Like even though she still wasn't sleeping, she had somehow gained a night's good rest in the time-span that Jordan has spent kissing her.

Sighing, she says, "God I need help." Because maybe that's why she couldn't sleep. Sure; now that she was a fully realized dragon, maybe she didn't need his physical presence quite as much as she used to. She hadn't felt like she was dying at all before seeing him today. But she did still need him.

Heading down the hall to class, she mutters, "It's going to be a long day."

"What the hell's this?" Theo glances back at Malia and says in answer to why she's cuffed down to the chair, "Safety first. I said I'd help you find the desert wolf. I didn't say it was gonna be easy. The restraints are to keep you from hurting yourself." And as he walks up to her, he says with a smirk, "Or me." Malia gives him a look, and then looks at the glasses he holds up. And when the spikes come out right under where her eyes will be, Malia shouts, "Oh come on!"

Theo nods and says, "This is what the dread doctors used to keep track of the chimeras. It seeks out and hones in on a certain frequency. They gave the chimeras their own unique vibration." "So how is that going to help me find Deaton?" "It won't. It's going to help you find a werecoyote."

Malia finally nods and says, "My mother." Theo nods and smiles at her understanding. "Because supernatural creatures also have their own frequency." "Well? Are you going to teach me physics? Or are you going to put your little torture device on my head and get this thing started?"

But he waits and says, "You have to concentrate on exactly who you want to find. You have to make a connection to a memory of her." "I don't remember a thing about her." "Then think about something else. Think about the crash. Think about the gun firing at the car. Anything that brings you back."

She focuses alright. Hate boils under every square inch of her skin. And when Theo tells her that it's going to hurt, she says, "I don't care."

But even Theo wasn't ready for her screams, as loud as they were, when he flipped the switch to cut the goggles on. Blood leaks down her cheeks, and Theo says, "Don't close your eyes. Keep them open." "I can't! I can't! It hurts!" "Open them! Malia, open your eyes."

And when she does, she sees Deaton, talking to her mother. He's saying something about the full moon, that it has to be the full moon. But Malia also sees the sign for Fort Jewett, and she knows where her mother is. "I know where she is."

As Theo tears off the goggles and Malia can finally relax again, she says, "She's here. She's in Beacon Hills."

"Scott, he's gone past this damn thing five times now." Nixie whispers it to him, but Scott gives her a look and she goes quiet again. He was trying to let Liam back in. But she knows she has to let him do it on his own time, his own way. He's the alpha and Liam is his beta.

When he comes back through again the next time though, Liam actually looks over to where they are, and Scott asks, "You lost?" "Completely." He smiles a little when Nixie steps out too, but she keeps quiet and steps aside so they can talk. Back to Scott, he asks, "How did you know I was down here?" "I followed you." "Why are you following me?"

Nixie does speak up at that and says, "Aside from the fact that you returning the tunnels is curious, I happened to overhear part of a conversation you and Malia were having."

That was before she caught Malia leaving the school. She caught her outside in the parking lot, and asked if she was alright. "I'm fine Nixie. I just… I need to finish this. I need to see it through." Nixie had nodded, and then says, "Please…" "Be careful. I know Nix." "I was going to say don't die, but that works too." Malia smiles a little, and then Nixie pats the top of her car and says, "Bring him home to us. And call me for anything." "Got it."

Back in the present, Scott nods, and then asks, "But why are you down here?" Liam says, "I'm just trying to figure out if this is where they took us. Me and Hayden. Malia said she was down here too. That the scent was the same. She said you were right."

Silence for a moment, and then Scott concedes, "Uh, there's a turn you keep passing. It's easy to miss." Liam tilts his head and asks, "How many times have you guys watched me go past it?" "Four." Nixie coughs out, "Five." Scott rolls his eyes and Liam grins a little. Then Scott says, "Come on. Let's see if we can find it together."

As they head off down a hall, Liam asks, "Where's Stiles?" Nixie answers, "He's visiting Lydia." Turning to look at her, he asks, "Why aren't you there then?"

Frowning deeply, Nixie says, "Lydia is in the closed unit of Eichen. The part protected by mountain ash. Stiles is the only one who can get in." "Sorry." "It's alright. We'll get her out soon enough."

Putting an arm around his shoulders, she says with a smile, "All of us."

"Meredith, please!" Lydia, the trapped version of herself in her head, pleads with Meredith. "Tell me how you did it." But Meredith shakes her head and says, "You have to find your own way." "Why can't you tell me yours?" "Because… my way got people hurt."

Meredith saddens as she finally tells her story. "Some days it was quiet for me. Other days, all I could hear was screaming. People dying." "What people?" "Everyone. Everywhere. I was at chemistry class when it happened. I had my hands over my ears. The teacher was trying to figure out what was wrong. I took my hands and I started hitting the desk, until I couldn't take it anymore and I just screamed."

Lydia asks, "What happened?" "All of the windows shattered. I saw kids with glass in their arms, in their faces. Some of them had blood coming out of their ears." Meredith looks at Lydia and says, "They said it was an explosion… caused by chemicals. But everyone knew it was me. Find a better way Lydia. My voice, is like a bomb going off. Yours needs to be a bullet."

Then Lydia hears a gun cock, and asks, "Did you hear that?" And when she turns, Malia is on the ground, her mother approaching her. Coming as far as she can to Malia, Lydia asks, "Is this real? Or is it in my head?" "I think you know what a banshee premonition feels like." Looking back to Malia, Lydia says sadly, "She's doing to die."

Meanwhile, in the light of day, Stiles is holding her hand, telling her that he has her homework and that she needs to wake up and explain it to him. "Come on Lydia. You have to come back to us. There's no way we're getting through this without you. Especially Nixie…"

And Natalie had been about to ask him to leave, but at hearing Nixie's name, she pauses to listen. "She's… I don't know Lydia. She's told me some of what's wrong with her. Her knew gifts and talents. She… she has wings. Actual wings Lydia. But… she's still in pain, or still confused. I can't explain it, but she's not all there. Not completely. She's slowly coming back to normal, but I don't think she can do it without all of us, and that means you too. We need you Lydia. You have to wake up."

Natalie then says, "I think that's enough." Stiles gently brushes Lydia's hand with his, but then notices the bald spot on her head. "Wait a second, what is this? What are they doing?" "Alright, you need to go." "They shaved her head. Look at it." Glancing back at Natalie, narrowed eyes, he says, "Did you… did you know about this?"

When she doesn't look shocked, he accuses, "What are they gonna do? Drill a hole into her head?" "Are you crazy?" Brushing Lydia's hair back into place, Natalie says, "It's for ECT. Electro-convulsive therapy. They shave small portions of the scalp. It's done under general anesthesia, and it's perfectly safe."

Throwing up her hands in exasperation, she exclaims, "Look at her Stiles. She's my daughter. You don't think I'm trying everything I can to bring her out of this?" "No. No, no. That's not ECT."

"Everything alright in here?" Natalie looks back at the orderly, and then says, "It's fine. Our guest was just leaving." When Stiles gives her a look, she reiterates, "Stiles, go. Or you're not coming back."

As he gets ready to go though, he turns to her and says just to her, "When Nixie finds out about this… you are going to see a side of her, that no one ever likes to see." Natalie stares and asks, "And what is that? A threat?" "No. A promise. See, she won't hurt you, because you're Lydia's mom. You're important, just like the rest of us. But she will shut you out. And believe me, that's even worse."

And then he leaves, bumping into an orderly as he goes.

When Scott and Liam stop to discuss the vibrating, and then go on to talk about that night when Liam almost killed Scott, Nixie gives them space. This is for them to discuss. She walks a little further, not far at all, and then stops in front of the symbol of a snake eating itself on a wall. Tilting her head at it, she wonders why it's here. And why they'd never noticed it before.

Maybe she just hadn't ever been down this particular tunnel before.

That's when Liam points it out to Scott, and she steps back so he can turn it, and she watches as another door opens that couldn't be seen before. "Scott." He turns to her, then to the door, and then says, "Stay behind me."

And though Liam tries to move in front of her, Nixie holds him back and says, "I still outrank you kid." He smirks at that, and then they follow Scott into the room. The second she hears the gun cock, Nixie surges in front of Scott. Chris is already holstering his pistol though, and raises an eyebrow at her and says, "Nice to see you again too."

She smiles and hugs him tight, making him chuckle. But then she smells the air, just like Scott, and she freezes while Scott says, "You didn't." Chris looks up at him, and then sighs and says, "I had to."

And Gerard comes around the corner. Chris squeezes Nixie once more, and then releases her so she can back up to Scott. Gerard grins and says, "Hello Scott."

He glows his eyes at Gerard, and the old man says, "I haven't seen that color on you. It suits you." Scott lets them fade, but then puts a hand on Nixie's freezing shoulder and says, "Show him what else he's missed." And she shines her silver eyes at him and snarls a little. Gerard's eyes widen, and he looks at Chris and says, "You didn't mention the Haven girl had been bitten and changed." "Because she wasn't."

Chris grins at her and says, "She always has been what she is. And she should be proud." Nixie smiles a little at him, but still casts her glaring eyes back to Gerard. She eases up though, and raises an amused eyebrow at Liam, when he asks, "Who's the old guy?"

Gerard chuckles and says, "Well, at the moment, they would call me a necessary evil. But you can call me Gerard." Nixie turns to Liam again and says, "We don't like him." "Got it."

Scott looks at Chris and asks, "What were you thinking?" "That we need him." Gerard smirks and says, "He's right. If you want to catch a werewolf like the Beast of Gevaudan, you're going to need more than one Argent." Chris rolls his eyes and comes over to them. "He knows all the stories. All the folklore. Everything written and everything passed down." He puts a hand on Nixie's shoulder and whispers, "And you can shut your eyes down now sweetheart. We get it."

She calms herself, and Scott asks, "And you're sure about this?" Chris honestly doesn't look all that certain, but turns and says, "Take a look."

They show them the mural on the wall behind the tiles, and Chris explains, "The one on the right is the Beast of Gevaudan. Do you know what the other one is?" When all three shake their heads, Gerard says, "A hell hound. A guardian of supernatural places."

Nixie tilts her head at that. Something Lydia had suggested about Jordan. That he was protecting the supernatural secrets by hiding the chimeras at the nemeton. Could it… could it be him?

Gerard says, "They're both creatures of the night, but you may know them as ordinary people during the day." Chris nods, "And most likely neither of them know what they are." Scott looks to Nixie, both thinking the same thing. But when Chris asks 'what', Scot doesn't mention Jordan. Instead, he says, "We found a message in Latin." Nixie nods and says, "Damnatio Memoriae."

Chris and Gerard share a look now, and Gerard says, "They want it to remember itself." Chris nods and says, "That might give us time." Scott asks, "Time for what?" "To prevent this." And he knocks away the rest of the tiles at the bottom of the wall, revealing all of the dead bodies that were painted beneath the two fighting creatures. Liam leans back and asks, "Who are they?"

Nixie and Scott stare at it, and Scott says, "Us. It's all of us." Nixie nods and says, "Jordan's dream. This is what he saw." Chris turns to her and says, "What?" She looks back at him, then at Gerard. Narrowing her eyes, she says, "I don't trust him." Chris nods and says, "If we're going to stop this Nixie, we need to know and share everything."

She looks to Scott, who says, "He's yours. It's your choice. But they might know how to make him remember certain things, how to draw him out and make him whole."

So finally, Nixie says, "Jordan… we don't know what he is. But he's not the Beast. He hasn't killed anyone. He hid the bodies of the dead chimeras at the nemeton. And he's been having this dream about carrying bodies there, adding to the pile that's already there. Hundreds Chris. Hundreds."

He nods and asks, "You think he could be the hellhound?" "I don't know what he is, except that he's important to me. And if that man…" She points to Gerard and says, "So much as nicks him, no one else will have to worry about learning any more stories from him. I'll kill him myself." And to Scott, she says, "Sorry, but I have my limits." "I actually understand."

Which is why, when Scott and Liam leave, Nixie stays. If they're going to text Jordan and get him down there, she's going to be there. And if Gerard pulls something, she's going to break him in half.

When Jordan arrives at the bunker, he smiles at Nixie. She smiles back, but instantly goes back to glaring at Gerard. Jordan glances at both men, and then to Chris when he asks about his life before being a cop in Beacon Hills. "I was part of an E-O-D team in Afghanistan. Explosive Ordinance Disposal. We handled I-E-D's."

Chris nods and asks, "And what about before that?" "High school." He glances at Nixie, and then nods his head towards the two of men, asking with his eyes if they're messing with him by asking these questions. Because she was here, and she already knew this stuff. She could've told them all of this. But she shakes her head, telling him that she hadn't already told them anything.

Yeah, she definitely didn't like Gerard. The man who pulled out a book and flipped to a page with a dog looking creature on it. Frowning, Jordan asks, "What's that supposed to be? Werewolf?" Gerard shakes his head and answers, "No. It's called a hellhound." He looks up in shock at Gerard, then at Chris. But when he turns to Nixie, she's already at his side. Wrapping her arm around his, leaning into his side, she holds on tight and gives him a stern stare. She still wasn't afraid of him.

It calmed him a little, but he still couldn't answer Chris' question about Afghanistan. He could only remember snippets really, and some bits he was almost certain couldn't be true or accurate.

Well... he had thought that anyway. But Beacon Hills certainly had a way of changing one's perspective on what was possible and what was impossible anymore.

Gerard holds up a blow torch, but Chris holds a hand up to Nixie when she makes to growl. Then he guides her back from Jordan as Gerard says, "You said you came to Beacon Hills because you felt drawn here. You hid the bodies of the chimeras." Chris adds, "You've got resistance to fire."

And while Nixie had been watching Chris and Jordan, Gerard askes from behind her, "We were wondering just how flame retardant you are, Deputy?" And he shoves Nixie hard across the room, making her crash into the nearby table and fall to the ground. "Nixie! What the hell are you two doing?" But Chris holds Jordan, in spite of glaring at Gerard for tossing Nixie the way he did. And Gerard holds the flame to Jordan's eye, waiting for a reaction.

He changes, transforms partially, and sees himself in the mirror, teeth and fangs extended, and eyes glowing a bright orange. Looking back to Chris, he says, "Hellhound." Chris nods in response to that. They finally knew what he was. Jordan then starts to ask, "And what if you'd been wrong? Would you have…" But he doesn't finish the question, because Gerard isn't behind him.

Gerard is on his back on the table, Nixie over top of him. The old man has talons dug into one shoulder and Nixie's other hand is around his throat. Snarling loudly down at him, she says in a growl, "I said if you touched him, I'd kill you." Gerard chokes from the force of her hand. He can't speak. She doesn't care to hear him.

Chris comes up beside her and says, "Nixie. Nixie, look at me." She jerks her head to him and says, "And you would've let him." "No Nixie. No I would not. I know how much he means to you."

Nixie is still glaring, but listens when Chris says, "Look at him Nix. Look at Jordan." She does, and he's back to normal, and he's fine. Chris nods and says, "He's alright. Go to him." But when Nixie doesn't move, Chris turns to Jordan and says, "Come and get her." Jordan walks up to her and says, "Nixie? Nix, come here." She looks at him, and then says in a softer growl. "I'm sorry. I wouldn't… I wouldn't have called you down here if…" "Hey. Hey, look at me." He holds her face in his hands and says, "I'm fine. Okay?"

She nods after a moment, and then climbs off the table, pulling her talons out of Gerard's shoulder with a painful yank. The old man rises to his feet while she wraps herself around Jordan's warm body. Watching them, Gerard looks to Chris and asks, "And what exactly is she?" "That's none of your concern." "Indeed. But I thought we were sharing everything." Chris narrows his eyes and says, "Leave Nixie out of it, or you'll deal with me, and every other member of her pack." Gerard just chuckles.

Jordan looks to Chris and asks, "This guy is your father?" "Wasn't my choice."

Meanwhile, at Eichen, Lydia is panicking. She knows Malia found her mother. She knows Malia is hurt. She knows that Malia is about to die. Meredith screams, "You can help her! Lydia!"

Lydia sits up to look at her, and Meredith says, "Lydia! Break the glass! Break the glass!"

And Lydia; the real Lydia in real life; screams. And the echo stretches to Malia at Fort Jewett. It stretches throughout all of Eichen.

And it stretches to Nixie.

She shoves away from Jordan in hast as her scales erupt on her skin. Her teeth lengthen, and her wings long to stretch and be free, but she holds them back for now. Her eyes glow and her talons extend. And as Lydia's scream vibrates in her mind, she roars and falls to her knees, sharing in the agony that Lydia was feeling before she finally woke up.

Gerard and Chris duck down and cover their ears, the sound loud enough to vibrate the entire room and all of it's contents. Jordan rushes towards her, covering his own ears. And when it finally dies down, Nixie falls to her hands and gasps for breath, sobbing as she tries to regain composure.

She'd somehow seen it all. Like the one time she'd thought she'd seen Malia having her vision. She saw Lydia fighting her way out of Eichen. She's learned so much, and she was doing so well. But they caught her, and she tried to beg them to let her go. "Please I have to tell them. They're all going to die. My friends. They're all going to die."

Chris glances outside to see the rain suddenly falling, and then turns back to Nixie when she says to Jordan, "She's awake." Jordan looks down at her, holding her in his arms and rocking her back and forth to comfort her. "Who?" "Lydia. She's awake. And she's terrified." "About what? Who is she afraid of?" "Not for herself Jordan. For us."

Shaking her head, she says, "She's terrified for all of us."

Back outside,finally out of the dank, dark and musty tunnels, Nixie sighs as she stands for a moment in the rain. Then she feels Jordan's coat fall over her shoulders. Smiling a little, she says, "Thanks Jordan." "Nice to hear my first name again." He smirks and adds, "It was nice earlier today too, but it's also nice to know I don't have to be kissing you in order to hear it now."

She laughs a little, and then says, "Um… I was going to ride with the Argent's back to Scott's house. But… could you…" "Come on." He opens the passenger door for her, and she slides in. It feels good. It feels normal. It feels like Jordan is still hers.

The other part of her, the one filled with doubt… it was growing quieter. But it was still there.

And when Jordan asks, "So… you still concerned about me and Lydia?" She answers, "Yes." But at his confused and hurt look, she explains, "But I think… I think somehow, it's more the dragon than it is me. Does that make sense? It's like… like I can't fully make the dragon understand that… that you're mine and not hers."

Sighing, she says, "When we get Deaton back I'll talk to him about it. I'm sure he has a solution, or at least something wise to say about it." "Good."

He drops her off at Scott's, pulling her in for a long kiss before he lets her go. "Let me know what happens." "I will."

And inside, she finds Malia with the others, standing around the table with the map of Eichen, the key card, and the security log book. Nixie rushes over to hug her, and Malia says, "I'm fine. I should've called you, and I should've never listened to Theo. But I'm fine." "Good. Braeden?" "Also fine. Also not leaving for a while, until we figure this out, and until we can take care of my mom." "Good. Deaton?"

"He's at the clinic. He's fine too. We saved him." "Thank God."

And she'll ask him about her issues as soon as she can. But right now they have one more person to worry about. She'd already texted Scott that Lydia was awake, and they needed to get her out in a hurry. Which is why all of this was here now. They were making a plan.

Scott nods to her, then to everyone, and then says, "Now we get Lydia."

Chapter 4! Ta Da! Hope you're enjoying it. Jordan and Nixie finally saw each other again. Yay! And as always, I hope to post the next chapter very soon. (Maybe even later tonight, but I make no promises on that. As I'm sure I've said somewhere before, life happens people. But I promise I am working on it. Yay!)