The shady days at Beacon Hills were getting shorter now that it was January. The night came quicker then the morning if you weren't up to see it you would miss it. But if you were a student it wasn't a problem.

Aurora finished the slug face she had doodled on the way to school. Satisfied, she pulled out Caroline, missing the small smile of satisfaction that played on Lydia's glossed lips before she started in on Jackson again.

Rory appreciated books like Coraline with a young protagonist being thrown into a situation that was far out of their control. She couldn't help but be amused by how easy it was for the young girl to be tricked by a woman who posed as her mother.

She saw the usual group as she walked down the aisle of her first period and noticed something. Stilinki was fidgeting despite there being no reason to fidget but then again.. she trailed off, finding Scott McCall the apparent one man army that dislocated Jackson arm.

"So did you plan it?" She asked before even realizing she was asking her body shifted and she held the book out tapping it against his shoulder.

He shriveled at the question and she wondered if he really had a violent bone in his body. Maybe his violent maiming was just a fluke, a glitch that only happened because someone out there made a slip up and now he was left dealing with the consequences of it.

"What?"

"I mean it takes a lot to dislocate someone's shoulder in one go. Well I assume it would, so did you plan it?" She felt herself backtrack seeing the wide caught in the head light eyes that filled with guilt and something akin to shame. It was really something to look at like a child finding out that they could hurt other for the first time.

"No, I didn't plan it. It was an accident!" His voice cracked and she found it even more amusing.

"Well your accident got me a one way ticket out of a very shitty situation so don't get me wrong I'm not mad. I'm not even miffed. you know though if you're going on a spee" her head tilted and the fire ignited when him flinched slightly. "I have a list." With each word she tapped him in a different place with her book. Left shoulder right shoulder left ear right ear.

"You've only been in town a couple of months, how do you already have a list?" Stilinki asked his tone sarcastic and she whipped around more elated then she had felt in a while. "I met you of course!" She was smile a toothy grin making a spectacle of the whole thing.

"What did I do?"

"Don't worry your not alone Jacksons there to."

"I'm on the same list as Jackson. Remember chem I actually helped you!" She took this in smiling all the while before turning back to meet those big wide puppy dog eyes. "I have a list." This time she patted the side of his head feeling the poof of his hair and then nothing.

She couldn't even tell if she was her or if she was anything. It was simply void then it was everything. She was in a forest vast and expansive, only the blue hue of the moon that on the leaves covered ground that felt cold and hard underfoot. The wind sang around her blowing out a freezing breeze that shook her to her core. The scent of pine and must reminded her of what every men soap commercial was attempting to capture.

Then there was the pain that went unnoticed until it spread like fire fighting against her skin and tissue embedding itself into her.

Looking to her left she found nothing of the waves of rolling earth but to her right her arm was pinned one side against the rough bark and the other had an arrow lodged in her skin. She felt panicked, scared and displaced. The three emotions didn't mix well at all. Her stomach rolled more violently then the land around her and she flinched on reflex.

Her hand moved jerking away and she staired into wide brown eyes. Scott brows drew together almost trying to fold into themselves as Rory registers Allison's hand on her shoulder.

"You didn't answer when I tried to call you." Her face was sullen as if Rory dodging her really hurt her.

"Would you believe if I told you I broke my phone." She gave a sheepish smile that was supposed to make the other girl laugh rather then absolve her of any wrongdoing.

"Yes actually I would." Mission succesul. "how long till you get a new one this time."

"I already got a new one. It looks just like the old one and it has the same number. Would you believe that?" Her smile turned Cheshire as Allsion rolled her eyes, understanding what she was doing.

"So you didn't actually break your phone?" She asked as they took there seats.

"I could. Could do it right now actually, think I could hit the projector?" She asked pointing up to the projector on the ceiling.

"You're in a good mood."

"I think so. Nothing like gazing at the decomposing corpse of your loved ones to raise a girl's spirits." Her tone was joking but there was an instant fall in Allsions smile that Rory would not tolerate.

"A-are you sure you're okay?"

Her fingers gripped tightly on her book but she smiled regardless. "I will be. I think I needed to jump that hurdle, you know, to get past it." There was a sincerity that she knew Allsion was looking for that vulnerability that made Rory want to spit out the metallic blood and bile that made it's home at the base at the end of her tounge.

"Yeah? Then I'm proud of you." The control Allsion had over her own emotions worked in her favor more often that not. And if Rory wasn't looking for it she might have missed the way the back of the brunettes teeth clicked together or how her smile dropped before it was fixed ago. She was worried but refused to show it.

She was waiting.

Waiting for Rory to drop the facade first waiting for her to reach out.. she wouldn't move her pieces until the blonde did.. Rory liked it that way she wanted to keep it that way. So she smiled to mimiking the other girl down to the small tick in her jaw as her smile met her eyes.

"Thanks." Nodding she placed her book on the corner of the table. "Nothing like death matures someone."

Her tone was laced with humor because of course she hadnt matured, she might never mature. She felt like her old self but stagnant in a way. Her decision to leave her sister behind while rejecting the door and the 'destiny' that came had allowed her to regain something she had lost. But now she felt that she was unraveling.

Her grin dropped as the lecture on Gregor and his struggle with doing just about anything took full effect. It didn't help that the teachers long drawn out voice made for horrible entertainment.

"I think I'd rather watch grass grow." She piped up after they were assigned to read through chapter two.

"Well if your bored I do have something i might need your help with."

Her head cocked and her brows raised in interest and she felt like a proformer putting on a dramatic display. "Oh? Do tell."

"So this weekend I was thinking about what you said."

"About making McCall sweat?"

"Huh no. The thing about the dog."

"Oh the one you almost brutally maimed?" She watched as the other girls cheeks flushed burning against her pale skin her mouth left open as she tried to figure out if Rory was messing with her or not. "What about it?"

"Okay. Well I went to the animal clinic this weekend."

"To talk to Scott."

"No" her cheeks flamed hotter and Rory only had to raise a brow to break through the paper thin lie. "Okay yes. But he wasn't there but his boss was so I asked about her and he said that he hasn't had anyone come in looking for her."

"So what does she not have a home?"

"Well I'm not sure but I offered to put some flyers up around town if no one comes for her by Friday."

Leaning back Rory took this in of course Allsion would want to find the dogs home. She didn't exactly remember what she said about the incident but it had probably been weighing on her mind. She did seem like the type of person who would want to make amends.

"So you want to put flyers up around town?"

"Yeah I think we could find someone to take pictures of her and then we can put them around town. Someone should claim her right?"

"Theoretically yes but what if they don't? I mean I know I can't take her Prada would have a fit."

"Well then maybe I can ask my parents if I can have her. I've never had a pet before." She looked a bit reserved and it took her a moment to continue. Allsion didn't actually want the dog but she felt a sense of moral obligation to see it through to the end.

"I'm sure someone will want her." Shrugging she reached out giving the girl a pat on her arm.

"I hope so."

By the time Friday rolled around she had found a new coffee mug in the cabinet and a Cheshire cat tail keychain on her purse. The strange case of Dr. Jyklle and Mr. Hyde and Dracula had magically appeared in her book case.

It took a while before she realized that it was Natile planting all the gifts around and in all honestly Rory hadn't been ready to confront her just yet. Until thursday night that was when she came into her room like a tornado arms of shopping bags.

"Uh what's all this?" The woman smiled kindly, placing the biggest bag on bed before pulling out a thin white board that she quickly recognized as a canvas.

"Your mother said that you liked to be creative when you were little. I just wanted to spark some of that creativity." Coming closer she dropped the rest of the bags in front of the girl who eyed the page number she was on before setting it down. Dog earring a page was sin in her eyes.

The bag held two journals one leather bound with old paper and the other more modern with an abstract design of the man on the moon. Other than that the majority of the bag consisted of paints and brushes and simple water colors and cream paints.

"Nat do you pity me?" She asked suddenly looking up from the bag watching as the women's face almost fell of the face off the earth.

"No I don't." She answered more straightforward then Rory had expected her face becoming sterner. "I just want you to be comfortable here and well." Her arms folded over her chest as she took in the room around her. "This room is a bit plain."

Aurora nodded in absentminded agreement she wasn't exactly wrong. The room was plain with grey walls and white carpet. There was hardly any life. The only furniture consists of a bed, a night stand, a vanity, a desk and a bookcase.

Her old room had cluttered walls of posters and picture clipping of stories and essays, painting and… of course Airals side of the room. It was more pristine then the organized chaous of Rorys side but it was flooded with the red heads personality. There it was easy though to pin up a new essay or collage. Here it didn't seem right the room was like a holding place, something that needed to stay bland. Maybe Nat had noticed it the distance she was trying to put up and was trying to bridge the gap. She was trying.

It was nice.

Looking down at the bag again she allowed herself to smile a soft genuine smile. "Thanks Nat this means a lot to me." The women smiled at her spot and gave a curt nod which was fine Aurora wasn't ready for the sappy hugging yet either.

"I hope you get good use out of them." Giving a final smile she left, leaving Rory to her devices.

"So let me get this straight, you want to invite us out after the game?" Allsion asked her words slow her hands gesturing to each word.

"That's what I said, isn't it?" Lydia asked in that perfect condescending way her shoulders jumped a bit as she said it and her keys jingled as she brought her hand up. She looked like the perfect Heather Chandler. Even her outfit was red.

"Well I just thought, since everything that happened with Jackson you wouldn't want him around." Allison had an acute habit of bitting her lip when she was trying to pick someone apart. She also had a habit of shouldering the blame that should stay on someone else's shoulders.

"I mean sure he bruitty mauled my boyfriend but I recognize talent when I see it. Besides Jacksons still playing tomorrow even miracle McCall can't stop that."

"I don't know what do you think Rory?" Turning the girl she was had slid onto the hood of Allison's car her eyes focused on her pale hair as she just finished twisting into a braid.

"I think I need another pony tail holder." She shrugged looking up in case there was any offer. When there was none she let the hank of hair fall watching in dismay as the braid loosened. "I say you should go for it I mean you kind of need to have your first official date."

Rory wasn't exactly interested in the topic, still in the mindset of making McCall sweat, especially since he had no real reason for leaving. He had been more than happy to snatch up her 'panic attack' excuse and Allison being the angel she was ate it without much thought. She hadn't actually not found time to confront him on the matter in fact it was almost like he was actively trying to avoid her. Even Stilinski had been silent. He hadn't asked her a single question since she had gotten back and yet he still kept her book hostage. It was a strange combination.

"Well then how about we invite Stiles make it a group thing." Looking up she watched enthusiastically as Lydia's face melted it was just a bit and you could have missed it but it was there.

"Uh Allison it is a group thing the whole team is going to be there." The strawberry blonde scoffed.

Lydia was smart. Her intelligence reached almost frightening levels but then you add that to her crazy skills of manipulation and she was the Beldam level terrifying. She quickly assessed that Allsion was trying to pull extra players into her game. Said players could be neutral parties that could eventually lean more on the brunette side.

Though Rory didn't know if Allsion was aware of how crazy obsession level of devotion Stilinski had for her strawberry blonde cousin and that he would probably die for her cause, she wasn't going to burst any bubbles today.

"I don't know Allison I'm sure.." she visibly trailed off looking to Rory for help. The blonde could only roll her eyes; she couldn't believe the amount of praise she just gave the strawbarry blonde. "He's Scott's best friend… no? Okay he's was the one I had in my room… no still not ringing any bells okay? Sheriff's son." Finally after multiple obviously confused glances and raised brows she finally nodded.

"I'm sure the sheriff's son won't want to be a fifth wheel in anycase." Before she could continue Allsion piped up. "Oh like a group date? I thought this was going to be with the team a victory thing? And Rory you're coming to right?"

"Yeah no I'll pass. Arent we putting up fliers today and all that?"

"That's tonight you're completely open tomorrow right?" As an individual she could say no but as Allison's friend her answer came in the form of a stiff nod and an ignorance to Lydia's burning glare.

"Well I guess since it's not even a actual date it won't be to bad!" She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest before she straightened. "Wait you're putting up fliers today but I thought you were coming to the hospital with me for you know your special treatment."

"I will after I put up fliers."

"Do werewolf's chase after moving cars?" She asked her palms pressing against the desk the other closing on the back of his chair. She may have came in too close for his liking because he jumped almost immediately, his nose almost bumbing her own as he turned to look at her wide honey eyes and a gaped mouth.

"Rory woah hey uh." Gathering himself his hands moved in front of him before realizing that with his body moved to face her his hands would have pressed into her chest. So instead he went for the side of his desk moving her hair that was hanging there.

"You didn't answer the question Stilinki do Werewolf's chase after moving vehicles?" She asked again, pulling away from him, her arms crossing over her chest. There wasn't much there anyway she thought bitterly and with her cloak he wouldn't have gotten much of a feel so she didn't really understand the panic.

"W-why would you think I knew that. I don't know any werewolves so I can't really answer your question." He was fumbling, hand flailing, long spidery fingers opening and closing.

Her eyebrows scrunched together and her eyes scanned him causing a very entraining cause and effect. He doubled down.

"Seriously, how would I know that anyway." His laugh was nervous, his eyes searching like he was looking for a savior but she had cornered him in math for a reason.

She let him blabber for a moment before she finally stopped him. "Uh because you've been hording my grandfather's book for almost a week now." He gapped for a moment eyes looking down at the leather bound book that was under his math book.

"Right right. Yeah sorry about that uh but he doesn't actually have any thing in the book about whether they chase cars."

"I know but if you had to guess."

"No."

"That quick?"

"Yeah no I don't think they would because wolves don't chase cars."

"Because there aren't usually around any but if there was one."

"I don't think so."

"Good to know." She nodded taking the seat next to him eyes never leaving his face. "So tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"Anything I guess we haven't talked in a while and I just want to catch up." Did she really? She couldn't really tell Stilinski had been so amusing in the first week but she hadn't been in the right mind to find it amusing now that she felt like herself he had become distant. It was disappointing.

"Not much the games tomorrow so..just preparing for that."

"Do you think you're going to have to play because Scotty's not?" She asked and he froze something about what she said was wrong somehow.

"No i probably wont play theyll probably just call someone… how did you know that?" Finding his composure he sat up straight.

"Know what?" She asked brow ticking.

"That he's not playing?"

"Just did." shrugging she played mock mystery to his sudden skepticism.

"Did he tell you?'

"No you two were talking about it this morning.." while she was in the parking lot with Lydia and Allsion so how did she know?

"Yeah in first period you.. you weren't there."

"Huh that is weird you know what else is weird that Lydia wants to go on a date tomorrow." He looked up at the thoughts and questions flushing out of him as he looked expectantly at her. "yeah a appreantly it's an after game tradition on the team. She wants you and Scott to come… but if he's not playing that would put a huge creator in the plan." She was really thinking out loud here but she felt as manipulative as Lydia.

Was she taking out her pent up aggression towards therapy on Stilinski? He didn't exactly deserve that despite not talking to her all week but it hadn't bothered her. Or at at least she didn't think it did.

"Don't get too excited it was going to be the whole team so it's not going to be that big a deal." She hoped that would absolve her of the sudden guilt she felt and the way that his face seemed to come to a plummeting acceptance proved that it did.

"I wasn't getting excited." He paused his eyes showing signs of the debate going on in his head before he tried to gain some form of laid back composure. "Lovette." He added a certain kind of 'cool guy' flare leaning back but he was watching her testing for her reaction.

"Seriously?"

"What you do it and if you're gonna call me everything but my name I'm going to do the same."

She smiled one side of her mouth, quivering as her tongue pressed into her knighns. It was amusing the fact that he tried to put a persona to saying her last name, an act of rebellion that Rory could appreciate.

"Right."

By the time the final bell rang the rumors about Scotts abandonment had burned through the school like wildfire. Rory was pretty surprised no one had shot him though the dagger induced glare were anything to go off more then half of the studen body wanted to. While most of the school were pissed that he was abandoning them he had climbed his way up her shit list for another reason.

Al.

He had let Allison go with a complete fucking nobody. As it turned out blue eyes and brooding was not his friend and from the uncomfortable look on Allsions face she wasn't sure what he was. Apparently she had assumed Lydia had brought the jacket back from the party. When Rory pointed out that she had in her arms when they went into the car she had a slight panic attack. Rory wasn't sure if bringing up the fact that Allsion didn't once give the guy directions was the right thing to relay at the moment.

After hearing this she wasn't surprised that he left school early.

"Of course we're still going to win. Jackson is getting his shot now." Lydia PR team Martin smirked twirling a lock of hair between her fingers.

Lydia phone had been blowing up since the news dropped and she was basking in it. The opportunist was more than happy to take up the scandal and use it to her advantage. She was currently talking her glossed lips devish as she gossiped with Dia. This however left Rory alone and fuming if she was going to be forgotten about she might as well have just gone off with Allsion directly after school. Surely Lydia was smart enough to know that she wasn't going to just waltz into Goodman's office; she would need to be pushed, shoved and threatened to an inch of her life.

Lydia was not putting in that effort.

So she read. She was going to read any way it was just this way was socially acceptable and less rude.

But Rory wanted to be rude. She was bored and her boredom had always lead to her making bad decisions… fun decisions but bad.

A hospital though was not a place to make bad decisions. Standing she thought about the red headed nurse wondering if annoying her would improve her mood.

It. Did. Not.

The woman was absent and her wandering throughout the residence wing was an unwelcome by the other nurses as it was by the redhead. She was left grumbling curses to herself as she turned through the halls her body slumped. The head nurse that had shoed her away looked like she had survived three wars and had played judge jury and executioner in at least 2 of them. It had completely burned the disrespectfulness out of Rory in the moment and while she relished in that angry look people got in there eye when she really let loose she wasn't suicidele. She was about to give up and and just call and beg Al to get her when she heard something more interesting in the waiting room.

"Hey, Lydia... You probably don't remember me. Um, I was the guy from the party. Uh, anyway, I always thought that we just had this kind of connection. Unspoken, of course. Maybe it'd be kind of cool to... get to know each other a little better…"

Finding the doorway she leaned against the frame watching in amusement. Stiliki had somehow found the courage to actually approach her. He was propping himself up against the wall covering Lydias so she couldn't see her reaction but she hadn't said anything to indicate that she had gotten off the phone so she wasn't sure if Lydia was even listening.

"Hold on Dia, give me a minute. Uh Rory wandered off somewhere if you're looking for her." Rory couldn't tell if she should laugh for blanch. Stilinki wasn't even on her radar so of course she wouldn't think he had any other reason for bothering her. Before he could respond she seemingly lost interest going back to her previous conversation. "Yeah sorry about that it was one of Rory's friends you were saying?"

"I wasn't asking about…" he paused realizing she had not other reason to acknowledge him before he backed off pointing at a seat relaying that he was going to take a seat before realizing that she didn't care.

"Should I call that stick one or strike 576?" She asked once he sat down and this time he blanched embarrassed that someone had seen that massive failure.

He jumped and his body had been facing Lydia as even he backed away so he never got the chance to see her. "I haven't struck out that many times." he defended finding his composure.

"Fine that not my issue anyway." moving closer she put both hands on his shoulder, her face becoming darker.

"Do you not know the term personal space?" Stilinski demanded his shoulders tensing.

"Nope im a very touchy person you should see the way i hang off Al."

"I do see it what's your issue anyway." letting go of him she sat in the partnering seat her body turned toward him.

"Derek." his face somehow paled which she didn't think of even possible.

"W-what about him."

"What about him? Well let's start off with the fact that your best friend left his teenage crush to his care then he tells her that Dereks not even a friend. There's a freaking killer on the loose and Al is way too trusting not to mention she's a brunette what if that's his MO. She could have been killed." She watched for a moment as Stilinski's face went through stages, his expressions morphing from understanding to concern to finally confusion.

"What do you mean? Why do you think brunettes are the killers MO."

"Because of the girl. The one they found ripped in half in the woods." She was 100 percent positive that the girl from the woods was real even if she had stopped haunting her dreams, she couldn't deny that she was there. "And I just want to let you know if anything happens to her I'll rip something off Scott he'll never be able to grow back. I'll leave him naked out in the open with his guts hanging out."

"Wait wait, slow down you saw the body."

Right sheriff's son. The state of the body was probably kept private, one of those need to know basis kinds of things just like the teacher talking about the suspect that they had in custody. The thought of a brutally mauled girl would probably drum up more panic than it was worth.

"I mean yeah i was curious and i guess a photo got leaked or something its crazy how stuff like that happens. That's not the point; she was young, right and pale with long dark hair. Does that sound like anyone to you Allsion maybe. I mean sure the women had grey eyes but that might not be why he went after her he might be David Berkowitz copycat or something." the more she ranted the more she felt her stomach plummet because it could be true. And what if Alison was the next target what the killer got some sick pleasure from ripping women in half

"Rory Rory slow down wait."

"What?"

"Slow down what are you talking about?." He was oddly serious, almost completely solid in a theory he was keeping her out of.

Huffing she glared at him ignoring the fact that she was speaking faster when she rants. "The girl. The one they found in the woods she had pale skin and dark brown hair just like Allsion. What if the murderer is some kind of serial killer like David Berkowitz. Do you know who that is?"

"Son of Sam yeah I know who he is what I don't get is how you know what the girl looked like."

That actually shut her up. How did she know what the girl looked like, sure she had her in her dreams for a couple of days but she hadn't actually seen her; it just felt like she had.

"I don't know actually uh maybe… the internet." It was lame but it was better then say that she had seen her in a dream.

"You saw her on the internet?" He repeated his face contouring in disbelief and awkwardness. "Do you think you could show me?"

"No." She spent a good minute examining her hands before quickly looking up at him attempting to gauge if he noticed how quickly she spit the word out too.

"What why not?"

"That's a weird question to ask someone to see a picture of a dead body."

"Wha- your the one who brought it up!" He scoffed getting defensive quickly. She quickly snatched it up, savoring it because she could use that.

"Just cause I was worried about Al you know the girl your best friend let some random guy drive home… is that why you went over to her house to make sure she was still alive." It was a wild accusation really if she really thought about it Scott could've texted him the direction. And who knows Derek could have been an older cousin of his or a family friend that he wasn't exactly fond of she didn't know.

"No! I went over there cause I didn't know how she got home so technically yes but Scott didn't intentionally try to put Allison in danger!"

"I don't know, Scott seems like a flake to me!"

"What!"

"He flaked on Allison flaked on the game tomorrow hell he even flaked on making his own excuse. So much for the great mericle McCall." This was fun! He was puffing up at this point his jaw set angrily.

"Okay for starters he apologized for what happened at the party he was going through… things okay and he still is.. he's having anger issue problems?" For as much as he was trying to defend his best friend he didn't actually have a way to do it; it was almost as if no one had actually pointed out the weirdness that is Mericle McCall.

"Anger issue problems?" She repeated leaning against her propped up hand raising a brow at him. It seemed she had successfully changed the topic.

"Yes! Anger issue problems. Bad problems with anger." His final sentence causes him to trail off as he sort of winces.

Her hand came out giving him a sympathetic pat before she was in the locker room. The windows that lined the top of the walls projected a honeyed glow that lit the room but she couldn't focus on that because she was sweating?

The growling, it was everywhere it was haunting her surrounding her. It dominated the room and she was suddenly scared. Was she dreaming? Had the women come back what happened. The clanging came ,hard plastic thudding against thin metal she could see Stilinski in his lacrosse uniform. He was looking past her his gloved hands laying flat against the lockers.

Then he ran again, his face pointed at the ceiling and as much as she wanted to follow his gaze she was terrified, her pulse rising by the second.

"Rory! Hey!" Pale spidery hands were closed together as he snapped.

"Lovette." The word displayed her disoration perfectly as her head spun.

"What?" Her mouth was dry and she felt her own cold sweat.

"You said you'd call me Lovett did you already forget." He nodded almost absently but his eyes were sceptical they were searching her own squinting before she looked behind her.

"Rory are you coming? You want to get to Allsions before midnight don't you?" Lydia called her hands clawing at Jackson chest as rubbed against him like a kitten.

"Sure. I'm coming." Standing she was about to walk toward the couple when she slowed a nervious feeling making her dizzy.

"Tell scotty that i'm brutality maim him if his not friend decides to come after al now if you excuse me i'm going to slip into annoying cousin mode."

Before she finally approached them she turned to see Scott at the end of the hall closing a door and she thought maybe she could tell him herself.

In the end she retreated like a bat out of hell she just couldn't approach him so she pretended not to see him to save her pride. But it had lead her train of thought down a unforgiving path.

Allsion was pretty naive, wasn't she. That was.. new. Rory had never really been drawn to naive people they were usually innocent to good for the world.. like Holly they needed to be protected.

Aurora wasn't very good at protecting.

She was a single minded individual with Ariel gone she only had one last person to look out for in this world was.. herself. And since Ariel had taken priority over all for so many years she found that she was now on the throne.

She couldnt really watch out for those that were to good for this world. She was after all a trouble maker and trouble makers caused one thing absolute chaos. She liked chaos she like power games for control she liked fights and thrived in fires. So when Allsion proudly presented her with a flier with the dog on it she felt that maybe this wasn't going to work out. Not because she didn't even let Rory in on when she got the fliers but how she got them.

"The people in the AV club were really nice. Matt helped me take pictures of the dog and he even offered to print out the fliers. I think they came out great, you don't mind I put didnt put down your number right I just didn't want to do it without your permission." Who was Matt? Rory didn't know she didn't even know that Allsion had recruited someone to take pictures or that they were apparently alone in the veteran clinic at some point but they were and damn it Allsion was just to trusting.

In that lied the problem.

What if Dereke was a serial killer after brunettes? What if he had targeted Allsion because she was alone and Rory had ruined his plan? What then? She lost another person that she cared for?

No.

That just couldn't happen. But if it did would Allsion be able to even pick up on the freaking signs. She had just brushed off the whole Scott not claiming to be freind with Dereke and instead felt upset that he was acting strange. Rory was starting to wonder if the girl even had a creep radar.

"I asked the vet if it's an Australian shepherd? I don't know why anyone hasn't come to claim her yet. It's a pretty expensive breed."

"Hey that's why we're out here right. Risking our necks for some incomapant owners that should probably be doing this themselves." The sun had already set despite it only being six so her and Allison were going down the old town first since the shops were closed and there was ample lighting.

Al looked at her seemly confused and she didn't exactly get the naivety of the girl. "What there a killer on the loose or a wild animal?"

"Oh that? My dad was talking about a while ago they found half a body in the woods. I think he said it was the remains of a girl" She paused her face turning pained. "If you don't want to talk about it that's fine."

Was Allsion just desperate for friends? The brunette cared so much that she had called Rory once everyday during her stay in New York and between losing her mind at the funeral and then losing herself in a false reality Rory had admittedly ignored every call. But yet Allsion wasn't bothered; she had brought it once on Tuesday morning but not a single time after.

She had just let it slide.

Just like she let Scotts stolen apology slide and being driven home by a stranger in a town where a woman close to her own description was found murdered.

Maybe she was just a better person.

Rory would have hung it over his head after all let him sit and stew on it. She would've been more furious about the Derek situation. She probably would have convinced herself that it was some cult invitation using ritual sacrifice that requires the victim ripped in half. But then again maybe that's why she was the love interest and Rory was the sarcastic side friend.

"The girl looked like you, not me Al." Taking a flier she stopped next to the street light lining it up before looking back to find a very confused face looking back at her. "Can you pass me some tape?"

"Oh yeah here." There was a long pause as she ripped off pieces of take still having it in her mind that a strong sweeping gust of wind would come through and knock off every poster she tried to put up if she didn't succure it just right.

"How do you know if the girl looks like me?" Allsion asked as she Rory hung one of the last few posters in the stack. She found it odd that she had asked after there conversation had switched several time.

"Well." Rory started puking tape off her hand and applying it to the poster. "Dark hair pale skin I mean sure you don't have grey eyes but that's not always the thing they're looking for. Plus she was pretty, slim, and young, you're all of those things too." Shrugging she kept unsticking the tape from her hand and applying it to the poster.

"But Rory they only found the bottom half of the body so how would you know what color eyes she has?" Time seemed to slow and she was incredibly aware that the they were at the edge of old town beacon and the woods were only a good yard away.

"What? No they found a body that what Mr. Headler said there was a body found in the woods as in the whole thing.'

"I don't know about that but it was only the lower half I know my dad said lower half. Look it even says it online that the part of the body the joggers found were her legs and torso." Her phone was extended and the beacon hills new journal shining brightly and mockingly in Rory's face.

"What the hell?" She was thing more out loud at this point because if that was true then… then she told the sheriff's son what the unseen half of a murder victim looked like. Reasonably that couldn't be enough to try her but that didn't stop her from thinking she could be going to prison or hell. She mentally wilted as she stared at the screen she had been so confident but he didn't even correct her.

Yeah no he didn't correct so maybe Stilinski already knew because maybe papa Sitlinski already found the other half of the body. This article was a week old after all. She needs to calm down and think rationally.

"So did the find the other half?" She asked as casually as she could manage clicking away from the article and trying to find the heat liner that read 'Other half found body of Jane doe finally discovered" but no matter how much she scowled and refreshed the page the head liner didn't exist.

"No, I don't think so. Are you sure it wasn't just something you might of seen in… New York." She hesitated with her words maybe under the impression that Rory would get upset at the implication that there were just dead body's littering the street of new York city Brooklyn but she shrugged it off.

"Yeah that's probably it. Something like that maybe i saw it on the news or something." Brushing the topic off she tried to ease her mind.

Change the subject.

"So this Matt guy, why didn't you tell me you were talking to him?"

"What?" She laughed suddenly. God her laugh was so carefree. "I just asked if he could take some pictures of the dog at the clinic and I did try paying him for the photos. He just wouldn't take it. He just thought it was really nice of me to want to find her home." Allsion smiled but it was more at the dogs picture than the guys' jester . She had been staring at it all night actually.

"Did you visit her?"

"No. I just haven't had the time and I don't want to get attached. You know I haven't exactly gotten an answer back from my parents."

"Did you even asked your parents?" She went silent, her teeth grabbing hold of her lip in a glaringly obvious no.

"Well that makes things complicated. How long will the vet hold her?" Then she looked and smiled again. Did she have a quota to meet?

"He said he would hold her for as long as it took. He's a no kill shelter. He doesn't believe in that kind of thing. Besides, he said her leg is healing so he didn't see a reason to put her down." Stopping Rory turned slowly, her head tilting in disbelief.

"You asked if he was going to put her down?"

"I just wanted to make sure."

"Oh my god you're already attached."

"No." Her defense wasn't too solid. Aurora had only seen a guilty smile a handful of times but Allsion had a way for making them innocent.

"Yes. When did you ask him if she was going to get put down?" The girls arms crossed over her chest her jaw jutted decisively but this was different from Stilinski's earlier it was a softer act. It was almost as if this was just playful banter.

"This weekend when I went to see Scott."

"And when you asked about the breed?" Her head shifted and her eyes darted. "Monday morning I called for more details."

"So you're not attached in any way."

"No, I just want to find her owners."

"Okay." Sighing, she looked at the dwindling stack. "maybe we should put a few more up and then call it okay?"

"Yeah okay that's probably a good idea."

"So my dad wants to when are your going to be able to come over for dinner?"

"Dinner?"

"Yeah my parents really want to meet you and Lydia too since we're hanging out tomorrow."

She remembered this time that Allsion didn't really have many friends back at her old school so luckily she was able to bite back a remark that would have probably sounded needlessly rude. "There's not going to be any drug test right cause you know I can't exactly pass those."

"What?"

"What?" Allsion thinking she was joking, let out a large laugh patting her on the shoulder. "No of course not, my parents aren't like that, they can be a little tense at times but they mean well."

"Well that's good cause I wasn't joking I'm on some anti anxiety meds and Nats has been forcing me to keep a schedule so I would have actually failed." The smile faded to the point where it stopped touching her eyes.

"I didn't know that."

"You didn't need to. It's just some Celexa placed on the kitchen counter every morning. I take it and everyone's happy."

"Is that why you've been acting differently?"

"No? Yes? Maybe?... I hope not." Her hand stuck out finding Allisons intertwining their fingers. She didn't mind that Aurora was touchy, at least she could link arms draped over her shoulder, lock her arms around her neck and Allsion didn't bat an eye. She guessed if Allsion was kind of friend starved she was touch starved.

Maybe it could work.

"Well either way I'm happy your in a better mood."

Maybe.

"Why do I have to help you? You kind of just invaded my brain, scared the shit of me then disappeared that's not how you make freinds." Rory called, crossing her arms over her chest. She was starting to wonder if this was actually a dream or if she had let a dream force her out of her warm bed and back into the woods. She was still in her night wear. She had worn yet another surprise gift to bed, a Cheshire cat outfit her aunt had given her.

The night wear was something she did not want to get mudded up in the beacon hill preserve. The knee high socks were all light pink and purple stripes and she was well aware that caked mud would ruin them forever. Not to mention if she tracked mud in on those pristine wooden floor god she would never be able to explain why she was up so late scrubbing the floors like Cinderella. But as the the hard freezing soil below her feet made her feet numb she was starting to think that she had done it again.

"I really don't want to be out here." She waited for the voice.. the women that lead her out here that had been guiding her since her head hot the pillow and she started to hear her voice. She wouldn't show Rory her face and every step she took further into the forest the voice didn't come closer it only lead her further and further away from her wonderfully plush bed. She felt like kicking herself she had spent the afternoon going on and on about Allsion naivety but one mysterious women's voice was good enough to go into the woods in the dead of night?

"Just a little bit further.. I just.. I need your help please. Raven." There was brief silence and Rory paused her eyes casting down to the soft pink oversized shirt she wished it had the silly face on it but she didn't think Nat would even consider buying such a silly thing even if it was only to be worm to bed.

"Not a raven not moving besides I'm not getting anything so you're not getting anything!" Finally she found it in her to put her foot down. There was an audible groan somewhere out there but Rory ignored it.

"Please just come find me." Despite herself she took a step then another.

Was she really going to look for a disembodied voice of what could or could not be the women from her dreams. "Okay but if I do this you have to tell me why you put me in a house fire."

"I took you to my old home. I wanted to see what happened." The women didn't hesitate to reply she didn't even sound ashamed. But Rory guessed it might be hard to feel ashamed when your dead.

"What do you mean you took me to your old home?" She decided she would take a step with every answer she received if the voice wanted to pick up on that or not was her own choice.

"I had you sleep walk there-" "Then how did I get back?"

"He took you back. He was keeping an eye on you?" Her thought went back to the twin pairs of red lamps. The voice from that dream called her raven to.

"Who is he?" She had expected an immediate answer but this time didn't get it causing her to stop in her tracks.

"Keep walking. You said you were going to find me."

"Answer the question."

"Can't you just keep going. Why do you have to be a brat about this. I'm asking for help."

"And I'm asking for answers. Actually how about I take a step backwards for every minute you wasted." There was a pause and she wondered where the previous shamelessness went. Either was it was seemingly gone so she did as promised taking a step back she crossed her arms staring defiantly at nothing.

"I don't know who he is. Not really I came to Beacon because of a family symbol. Someone reached out to me and they said they were one of us and I went to meet them in the woods. I.. I didn't actually see their faces, they were already mostly turned when I showed up." Nodding at this she took another step forward; it reminded her a bit of being in a board game but the roll of the die was replaced with an answered question.

"So you what just went out and meet a stranger in the woods? Bet you're regretting that now aren't you, dumbass."

"I thought I could handle myself okay! I didn't even since there blood lust when I approached but when he attacked I felt it. There was so much anger and he turned into something…something I had only ever heard about." There was a tremble in her voice that made her seem younger then Rory had originally thought she was.

"Like the thing you turned into in my dream?"

"No.. no I would have taken my normal shape what you saw was a slowed down process of that what I saw… What I saw was a beast." She was starting to feel uncomfortable with the level of raw vulnerability she was getting from this disembodied voice so she opted for her closest held card.

"So then what's your name?"

"What?" The voice seemed shocked as if it had already prepared itself to get into the gritty heart wrenching shit tonight.

"You have a name dont you? Wither it's a dream or your a real murder victim you have to have a name right."

"It's Laura."

"Maybe you are a real person because Laura is definitely not the name I would of picked."

"My mother chose my name. It was symbolism that as her first born I would represent the honor and strength of my pack."

"And yet you died meeting some random guy in the woods? Not a lot of honor there huh?" She could feel the tension it swirled around her like a gust of wind and she took an extra step.

"I was investigating it may not have any significance to you but it has become my life goal." She was purposely being vague and it irked Rory what was the point of asking questions if she only got a few puzzle pieces.

"To meet some guy in the woods?" She kind of wished she could see the way the women's grey eyes flared the face she made when she was frustrated.

"No you brat to learn the truth. To find out what really happened to my family" That earned her two steps, maybe it would motivate her to spill more of her guts. She wanted to laugh since the first time she saw the women she was literally spilling her enthralls all over the forest floor.

"And then you died? Why don't you just ask.." she trailed off not really sure how to say it without sounding like she should shove her foot in her own mouth. She understood the term taking it to far after all. "I mean if your dead now why don't you just ask your family instead of getting an amature sluith on the case?"

There was a pause and Rory stopped in her tracks waiting. She wondered for a second if she pushed it to far. Had she made the ghost mad? Did she decide to abandon her here and maybe find some other fool to lead into the woods? That would be funny, she thought finally, maybe this new guy would learn more about Laura then she did and the cops would eventually find him more interesting then her little slip up yesterday.

Has Stilinski even old his dad about it?

"No I can't… I can't move on!" The words came out again disembodied but strangled and gritty caught in some kind of throat. They sounded irritated and she understood. Imagine dying and finding out there was an afterlife but you couldn't get to it.

"Probably because you have 'unfinished business' that's what it usually is right? You probably won't move on until you find your killer or your family's killer, do you there the same person."

"No."

"Wow, that was fast? Wouldn't it makes since that someone would lure you out to the woods to finish off the blood line? I mean this has all the makings of a dramatic mystery novel. It would be a good ending at least. Tie everything up."

"No this guy knew about the spiral he knew things.. things that some petty arsonist couldnt possibly know." There was a hitch in her words that told Rory that she was omitting things but the blonde didn't push instead she zeroed in on the spiral .

"So now there's a spiral? You might want to start at the beginning Laura cause I'm lost." In truth Rory couldn't tell if she was completely invested in this story. There wasn't much on the character and she didn't actually know anything about this investigation. Would she actually care to listen to the whole thing?

"As of now my brother Is the sole survivor of my family." That was a good starter it was an Investing line for sure and it hit close to home.

"Look at that Loury that earned you three big steps." Just to show her good faith she took three large steps ignoring the slight pain in her foot that probably shouldn't have been ignored. Pain never happened in dreams. "Don't you just love open and honest communication?"

"So your whole family died in a house fire? And you spent the rest of your life trying to figure out who started it but someone killed you? Did I get that straight?" She asked, her arms reaching above her head as she stretched. One hand came down to catch her yawn and her eyes squinted at the streaming sun light of the early morning.

"You're too late." Laura hissed she was a very emotional person but she didn't use that emotion dramatically. It was a strange combination.

"Late what do you mean?" She asked in the middle of another yawn. The house was in sight now and she didn't think Nat would try to wake her up. She was doing everything to get on her good side so she should have been good.

Except there were the cop cars and photographers taking pictures of a taped off hole that she was just now catching sight off.

"They're taking me away." Her voice was sad it was the first time she had sound this depressed all night. "They dug me up and there taking me away."

"This hasn't been a dream for a while." Before she could hear Laura again her nose began to ache she had collided with a solid almost brick wall of cloth.

"Rory? Hey are you okay, what are you doing here?"

"You dug her up didn't you?" For a second she thought didn't even recognize her second hand grief. "Did you ever think that you disturbed her?"

"Have you been out here all night?" Scott asked but in a way he already knew.

"What's going on? What are they doing with her?" She asked again her voice was grainy like she had just woken up, her feet ached and her neck felt stiff.

"Rory don't worry there arresting the guy who did it." His voice was almost hopeful as he turned pointing toward the cop car. Looking on she squinted before she saw more then just a shape. The tinted windows couldn't hide the pale face riddled with a nine o clock shadow. Of course of fucking course.

"That's the guy? That's the fucking guy! I knew it!" Turning she reached up flicking the dark haired boys forhead before smacking his chest. "He was the killer. You let Al go home with him and he was the killer! He could of fucking killed her!" It didn't matter that smacking him physically hurt; it felt more like smacking the marble floor of a museum. She kept hitting him, her hands turning into fist as she pounded on his chest.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Before she could continue he took her hands covering them like large oven mitts. He didn't look angry though, just surprised and concerned.

"I didn't ask him to take her home okay! He just said he was my friend. I don't even know he did!"

"So he was what stalking her? He didn't even ask for directions to her house Scott he just knew where she lived! And the jacket I know damn well she didn't get out of his car with it! What if she was his next victim!"

"I don't.. I don't know, can you just calm down! He's in police custody now he's going to jail. Just calm down okay."

"No that's not right! Laura needs to be averaged. She was just trying to look out for her family. Did you know she had a brother! What's he going to do now! I mean he's going to have to be called down here to verify the body. Do you know how traumatizing that is!"

"Rory?"

"She ripped in half Scott. God do you think there gonna have to put her together before calling him down."

"Rory."

"I mean how did that guy even do that she had claw marks."

"Rory!"

"What!"

"How do you know who she is? How do you know what she looks like?" His voice went low like this was sort of secret. A secret she didn't feel like sharing.

Ignoring his question she walked away from him going closer to the bus. The body was probably still in the hole. There was no ambulance so there was no one to properly take the body so all she had to do was walk over there. just walk over there, lean over it a bit and confirm. Confirm if she was bat shit crazy or if those water wide grey eyes would be staring back at her.

"What the-" the voice was older and vaguely familiar and the hand that clamped down on her shoulder was rougher than the bastards. "What the hell do you think your doing!"

"I told you someone was going to die, didn't I? New girl loses her parents in a tragic backstory and then comes to live in a small town. I mean it's cliche but its basic young adult murder mystery 101." The sheriff didn't seem pleased with that hysterics is fingers pinching the bridge of his nose was anything to go off of.

"Get. Over. There. Away from a crime scene." The conscience answer must have really frustrated him enough to absolve her. Or at least that's what she thought until she saw little Stilinski, his head bent together with the puppy. He looked over at her before catching his gaze.

Unsatisfied she looked back she had to know. She had to know if she was there. If she was the one that had been talking to her all night. So she kept walking one step at at time until she could hear the shutters of the cameras as they clicked.

She could only hope the photographers were so focused they didn't notice her. Getting close enough she tried to peer over the side but she was too far away.

"What did I just tell you!" She knew that mother cats would pick there kittens up by the scruff of the neck temporally immobilizing them so that she could take them were she wanted then to go. She had sometimes found herself wondering how that would feel and now as sheriff Stilinski took her by the shoulder, rotating her and slightly pushing her forward, she believed she did know what that felt like.

It was annoying.

"Why are you even out in the woods so early in the morning does Natiale know we're you are?" He asked trying to get her mind off the morbid sight of seeing the body.

"Yeah of course I just went for a morning walk." Sometimss she thought the art of lying through your teeth should be considered a skill. It really shouldn't have all the stigma it did.

"A morning walk huh?" He asked and she smiled at him, something that was polite and well crafted.

"Yes sir I didn't get to see the sights in New York. I thought I'd start now since I'm starting to feel like myself again. You know mentally." Lies, faux smiles and sprinkle in a hint of trama and she should be good to go.

"With no shoes on?" His eyes flickered indicating that she should follow and she mentally cussed herself out.

"How do you know these aren't shoes? With all due respect fashions change since you were a kid." She actually thought she might of saw a hint of a quirk on his lips but it was gone as fast as it came.

"Boys, why don't you make yourself useful and drive her home? Get away from my crime scene for a while." Taking a look at them she was drawn to Scott's eyes.

They were dark; his pupil had been blown out, making his them look solid black. There was a cold blank look on his face that disturbed her. "Yeah we can take her home." Even his tone of voice seemed robotic with underlining suspicion.

"No." She found herself swallowing despite her mouth being dry. "I think I'll walk." She tried to sound casual but Scott just looked so damn creepy and angry. She should of took them up on there offer and found out for herself why he looked at her like she had just stomped on his pet's head.

"Well that's not happening. Tell you what I could just have you wait here and give Natalie a call to have her pick you up." The Sheriff was just putting the ultimatum on the table to get her to concede she could tell by the way he grimaced when she grabbed it up with a nod of her head.

"Yeah, fine , let's do that. I can get a good look at the body that way and probably bug your photographers to hell and back."

"That, is also not happening. Why not just get a ride from the boys?" As much as she wanted to say that Scott looked a few seconds away from accusing her of murder she held her tongue.

Looking back at the boys she found that Scott had fixed his face, he was no longer giving her that stare but he still looked frustrated. It was the way he looked in Mr. Harrison's class sometimes when he didn't understand something. Her instincts were still telling her that going with them was a resounding no.

"You take me home then." Turning to the sheriff she smiled. "You already know where I live and…"

"No!" Stiles jumped his eyes darting to the car then to her. "He has a killer in his back seat. Do you want him to know where you live? Where Lydia lives!" Stiles protested and her eyes cut to him turning to slits.

"But it was okay for him to know where Allsion lived." She hissed and he physically recoiled like he had forgotten all about that.

"Besides, I get the feeling that you only really care about one of us in this situation?" She felt heat rising filling her lungs and throat. She just wanted to eat and savor that guilty look. She could swear that no one other than Lydia herself ignited her flame as much as Stilinki.

"Fine, take me to the station. Natile can pick me up from there."

"What's wrong with just riding with us?" Stiles asked, his hands going to his hips, his body leaning forward, the guilt evaporating.

"You remind me how much taller you are when you do that." The blunt redirect worked to make him a bit self conscious and he straightened up only to slouch. Turning she walked away not actually seeing a right or wrong way to talk her way out of the situation.

"I'll be waiting for when your ready, sheriff. I'll even wait outside the car until you are." Waving them off she thought the best way to handle the situation was to assert her choice and leave no room for argument.

At the moment she felt like she had picked the lesser of two evils though how she came to that conclusion she wasn't exactly sure. After all she choose suspected killer over puppy eyes McCall so maybe she wasn't being exactly rational. And sure having the boys drop her off rather then have Natalie come to the sheriff's station wasn't the best idea. In fact it was an awful one but she had followed her instincts however blind they might of been.

His fingers were clumsy as he typed in the words 'wolfsbane' 'ritual' and 'burial'. Honestly they were three words he would of never thought he would be looking up much less together.

"In can't find anything about wolfsbane being used for burial."

"Well okay uh look in my bag see if the book says anything."

"You mean that book you're always reading?" Lowering the phone Scott felt irritation flood through him. 'the one that girl gave you?"

"Yeah it has a lot of information maybe it knows why the girl was buried under a spiral of wolfsbane."

"Laura."

"Yeah Laura?.." Stiles paused, his face morphing into confusion "Whose Laura?"

"The girl. Her name was Laura." He was dropping hint but stiles didn't seem to want to pick them up.

"You named her Laura Scott. That's kind of weird.."

"No Rory did. She said that her name was Laura and that she had a brother." He felt angry and confused. Even as he tried to assess her he could only think that it had to make since. It had to be her the weird smell of her blood, the way she always knew something that she shouldn't.

There was a moment where he could practically hear the wheels in Stiles' head turning then he looked at him and the two best friends found command ground.. "And she also knew what she looked like. Scott no you don't think." Stiles asked removing his hand from the wheel to whip his lips.

"She knew about the bite. She knew what the girl looked like she knew her name. She gave you a book on werewolves. What if it's her! What if she's the one who bit me, what if she killed the girl."

"You think she's the one who bit you? Her?" He watched as his best friend let out an awkward unconvinced laugh, unable to even consider that it could have been the small blonde.

"Why not! You said she came to beacon in December that was a couple weeks before the body was found. What if its her. What if she's the one who bit me! It would explain why she didn't mind riding in the car with Derek. What if their working together?"

"No. I mean there's no way shes Lydia's cousin I mean there's no way someone with her blood could turn into a raging body ripping… beast!" He couldn't even fathom the thought; it just added to Scotts irritation. His building irration.

"Besides, her best friend is Allsion you really think a werewolf would actively choose to be best friends with the daughter of a family that hunts werewolves."

"What's if she's after Allison and her family!"

"What! Are you insane!" He was putting the pieces together and it scared him. Scott knew his best friend. He knew that he was seriously considering it from the way he was tapping his fingers and furrowing his brow.

"No! She told me Derek knew where she lived. what if they were planning this!"

"Scott, wait! The girl was a werewolf! Why would she kill her own kind just to turn around and kill hunters?"

"No,I don't know! To use it as a cover up! Either way it doesn't matter she has to be behind this, how else would she know everything!" He was screaming at the point he knew that he shouldn't be. He was scaring Stiles he could smell it.

"Okay okay if we're going with your theory why would she attack her if derkeks locked up! It wouldn't make any since she wouldn't have anyone to pin it on."

"Unless she went with your dad to set him free!" Scott was twitching now, his neck ticking the side In a way that Stiles hadn't seen before. It was like he was unhinged.

"Look it can't be Rory!"

"Why not! Why don't you believe me."

"Cause of the trunk!"

"Trunk? What trunk!"

"She has a trunk in her room." He explained slowly making his way back to the drivers. "It's laced with wolf bane. If she was a werewolf how could she handle having it in her room?"

"I don't know it might be fake. She might of just tried to trick you!"

"Let's just look through the book it's in my bag. Maybe it can help us!" His hands were shaking but instead of reaching for the bag he reached for the bag that sat between them finding a rope of twisted wolfsbane. "you kept it!"

"What was I supposed to do with it!"

"Stop the car!"

Pulling over he took the bag running out the door before throwing his entire bag.

"Scott!..Scott?..Scotty? Oh crap."

"No she's not in trouble, she just took a morning walk and went too far. I think she got lost." Rory couldn't hear Natiles response from over the phone but she guess it wasn't all too nice if you account all of Stilinski's wincing.

"At least I'm not the one in cuffs, right?"

The house came into few and she swallowed fighting at the lump in her throat.

"Sure you don't want to take me to the graveyard?" His lips tightened on his face straining as he processed her implication.

"You're too dramatic for your own good." He told her in that gruff fatherly way.

"Am I?" She asked her eyes on the stark white slippers on her feet. She wasn't surprised to hear that the station had slippers for people who might come in without shoes. They were those than cheap ones were the bottom was lightly layered with foam and the rest was kind of shaggy.

They didn't compliment the pink and purple striped socks in anyway but when did she care about fashion. Hell she could probably use this to piss Lydia off. They hadn't had an argument since New York it had been pretty quiet. It was like static on a television to Aurora though. Mundane to the point of madness where you just want the tv to work so you can see anything other than the grey fuzz.

"I'd say so but I think you'll be fine though. Aurora, were you really just taking a walk this morning?"

He looked at her his blue eyes squinted but not accusing.

"No not really. I've been having a issue with sleep walking. I'll wake up in different places, sometimes the lawn, sometimes I'll end up in the woods. I've never gone that far before though." She shrugged dismissively.

"Maybe you should go see the doctor about that."

Smiling, she stepped out of the car bidding Mr. Stilinski a goodbye before she was left alone.

The house didn't exactly look approachable and she thought maybe another venture in the woods would be better. She hadn't heard from Laura since she 'woke up' but she didn't think she would be going to sleep anytime soon.

In the end she chose her eventual punishment.

"Aurora is that you? Please join me in the kitchen. We need to discuss a few things."

Natile was leaning against the island which wasn't much of a shock at all her reddish brown hair made up in an elaborate braided updo and she was already dressed for the day. You hardly ever caught her in a robe after 8 am. She was a lot like her own mother in that way. Always prim, always proper, always professional.

"So do you want to explain to me why you were out in the woods this morning or should we discuss the car first?" Behind her Lydia straightened her green eyes finding Rory's black ones and narrowing ever so slightly.

"What about the car mom?" Lydia asked putting a ditzy voice that Rory wasn't sure if her Nat saw through or not; by the way her face hardened she could only assume she didn't.

"It's from the towing company. They sent me an email and a detailed list of the extensive damage done to the car." Turning she picked a tablet off the island showing the photo of a busted windshield, the mirror clearly dislodged and in the back seat.

Turning she showed them to Lydia who looked away for a moment.

"So who wants to tell me the truth?" Swiping through the pictures she made sure to drill her disappointment in.

They stood in silence and as the second ticked by she waited for Lydia to step up and rat her out. She had a clear detailed list of things she would be more than happy to bring to light herself. For starters the fact that Lydia only covered it up so she could have her party. Or the fact that her and her boyfriend sully every surface of the house by having sex. Or maybe the fact that Lydia made Jackson get a cortisone shot without his parents approval. Maybe she could do a deep dive expose on how one of the party's she had over winter break broke three of Nat's fine wine glasses and then used the disappearance to give her an upgraded set.

Okay so maybe rap sheet against Lydia wasn't very extensive; she was a model student with straight a that never ditched and despite what most might think followed the rules to a t. Lydia might as well have added 'perfect daughter' to her extensive collection of accomplishments. In fact Rory reasoned that if it wasn't for her striving for popularity and need to rise to the top Lydia might have naturally fell into the spectrum of people that didn't even make her own radar.

She wasn't Alison from Pretty little liars, maybe she could be closer to gossip girl Blair Waldorf. Rory had thought she was a Regina George Heather Chandler mix but at some point she had shown a side of her set herself apart from fictional narrative queen bee.

Right now the girl was giving her a wide eyed look one that said 'shut up I'll think of something'. And as if to prove the mounting theory she took a breath her arms hugging her waist a move that felt exposing without her cloak. She had to pivot her body turning the side so they only saw half of her weakness.

"I did it." She sighed, casting an elongated look over to Natile who looked to have already assumed as much. "

Despite her unquestionable genius Lydia couldn't control people. For all her expensive manipulations and cunning scheming her human side showed with how little she was able to actually control the people around her. While she could keep up appearances the inner workings weren't that of a well oiled machine but that of a human girl who couldn't let people to close to her or they would see what she was keeping under the facade.

"Why?"

"Because."

"She was having a meltdown. It was honestly bound to happen she was showing textbook systems all week. She hadn't had a proper night's sleep in days, she has hardly eaten since she got here, she had an incredibly life changing transition in the past couple of months and several unaddressed issues with her family. I'm guessing her mother dying set her over the edge. She just didn't have a proper authority figure to help her cope. We're lucky really that it was just some beat up car and not something worse." But then again for all that she couldn't control she could exploit bending things to her whim.

"Not that you not being here is your fault." She quickly back peddled the ditzy facade caking her features frosting over the words she just threw out into the air. "she just didn't have any other outlet right Aurora?"

She could have fought her. It would have pissed her off it was a prime opportunity but it wouldn't have offered her any satisfaction so she dropped her head, her hair hanging over her face and she complied.

Despite what Rory might have thought Natile wasn't at all blindsighted by her daughter's sudden intelligence on the topic leading her to believe that she probably knew all along. She didn't even flinch as she put the tablet back on the table and took a breath.

"Aur- Rory." Natile started gently. "I understand that things have been difficult for you since you got here." Rory examined her tracing the lines of her face as she readjusted her arms recording them over her chest. "I want to help you get over this hill so I'm going to ground you for the weekend for leaving without telling anyone. I know you need a strong parental figure in your life that will hold you accountable for your actions. After spending so long with your mother and talking to your teachers I know I need to do everything in my power to ensure that you can be a better person than you were." Rory studied her again through narrowed eyes now.

Was she serious? Framing it like this was for Rory's benefit alone? What was she trying to play lawyer, judge and executioner.

"And I want us to be able to talk this through so we will be going to visit Dr. Goodman's this afternoon tomorrow morning and tomorrow night."

Rory blinked. It was all she could do really. The first thought of throwing the first thing she could grab was quickly smashed down. If she wanted a way out of seeing Goodman all weekend she would have to be smart.

"But Rory can still go to the game tonight. Right?" Lydia interjected quickly her face mellow. "I think it would be more of a punishment then grounding." There was a flicker in her eyes and then she went for a different approach. "I just don't want people to wonder why she's not there. I don't want her friends to be worried."

Oh yes, the one singular friend Rory had.

Allison would probably ask where she was she might even call her and considering if this grounding ment no phone or computer the attempt would be futile.

"It's important that she's around people her own age. Isolating her won't do any good, she'll just act out more for the attention." It was a bold claim, one that Rory was immediately ready to debunk but there was a reluctant sigh and she thought maybe she should keep her mouth shut. Not that she asked for Lydia's help but if she was supporting her it should be free of charge right?

"I was going to have her go to the game tonight anyway." Natile said in a bit of a huff before looking back at the blonde "I'm not grounding you to isolate you but to show that there are consequences to your actions. I will be taking your phone and computer so you'll need to stay with Lydia. I don't want you wandering off. Is that clear?"

She thought she could drawl out a sarcastic 'crystle' but in the end she could only muster a nod. A weak embarrassing nod.

She didn't understand why Natile needed to be there with her, much less what the point of even going was. Rory had tried to convince her that they could just talk one on one and Natile had actually entertained until all of the questions she asked got rebuffed and redirected. It wasn't a subtle thing on Rory's part with her sarcastic quips about Harrison being an ass or completely shutting down why she had woken Lydia with her scream and then proceeded to stop sleeping.

That refusal lead her straight to the brick red couch where she sat moodley eyes cast to the side of the beige walls. Natile beside her frantically apologizing on her behalf with that PR smile that Goodmen himself was so good at.

"Aurora didn't mean that shes just such a curious girl." Natalie had never seemed more fake.

The thought miffed her. If she started calling people 'phony' or she would probably have to jump of a bridge or something to compensate damn it. And fuck J.D. Salinger for making one of the most pretentious books have such a bad ass cover.

"-At our first session, right Rory?" The question caught her off guard pulling her away from her brooding.

"I was just telling Mrs. Martin, how you brought something similar up in our first session, remember?" His smile was cough syrup sickly sweet with an uncomfortable undertone.

"Yeah, I'm guessing you're still not a necrophiliac." She nodded, lifting her jaw off her fist and waving her free hand.

"You asked him what? Aurora you can't just ask people things like that. It's disgusting." Natalie told her clenching her shoulder trying to defuse the situation with a small nervous laugh.

"Oh I'm not bothered by it." He laughed and she noticed for the first time how different he looked from their last session. His hair was a think grey mass on a oval head and he had small grey eyes covered by half moon glasses. "She is quite the character. It's obvious that she uses shocking questions to get a rise out of people. It's a way for her to both be seen while putting up her walls."

Rory checked her skin at that moving flipping her hands In Front of her face before trailing up her arms before she patted around her neck. "You know I didn't think but I had to be sure." She muttered loud enough for them to hear because of course she was setting something up. She wanted there reactions. In fact it felt like clock work when they finally asked what she meant.

"Well I thought for a second I had gone green since he decided to just start slicing me open and dissecting me. But nope, still human. Maybe you should keep your scalpel off me , thanks." Her remark was not perceived as clever or witty apparently since Natile rolled her eyes and her mouth pressed to a flat line.

"I was made aware that you went to your mother and sisters funeral last weekend. Do you want to talk about it." The question seemed to come out of left field and bludgeon into her skull.

"No."

"Aurora." Natile started her lips breaded again but not in a rude way this seemed more concerned. They hadn't talked about it. Natile had just left her gifts here and there but they hadn't actually talked about what happened. "I think you should talk about it. You won't even talk about it."

"But it I keep dodgeing your questions I keep getting gifts. I noticed the paper weight you left on my nightstand. I'm guessing you wanted me to wake up to it."

"Gift?" There was a clear uncomfortable drawl to Goodman's voice as he directed himself towards Nat.

"Well you see there's a reason for that of course." Her smile tightened and she steeled herself obviously not a woman who liked criticism.

"Her sister passed on their birthday."

Rory tuned them out at this point and she was counting down the time. She didn't have to listen to Natile explain their situation to Goodman and she didn't want to feel the embarrassment of him finding out the only gift she got for her birthday was draped over her shoulders like a safety blanket. It was already bad enough that she shoved that experience away.

Where did it go?

Aurora wasn't exactly sure but she thought it was probably behind the door. Or maybe it was behind its own door, a new door. Maybe fine white double doors.

Yeah, that's probably where it went.

Though she didn't see those doors when she went to sleep. Of course she saw the young smug face of her father and not the girl who had lead her to her eventual grounding. But she wanted to see Laura again; she had somehow convinced herself that the dead girl had all the answers but she wasn't there. Just her door and her father lourtering on her chair locked and loaded with the same lecture.

'Your losing control Aurora. You'll lose you'll mind soon enough. Soon nothing will be right in your vision and the answers will be blurry and distorted. It's a reflection of your mind.. blah.. blah..blah.'

His voice had started to become the bane of her dreams and ironically enough his face was hard to look at without the exit wound. In the end she decided whether consciously or unconsciously that she didn't feel like sharing a space with him anymore.

She had woken up more restless than she did waking up in the woods.

So she tried to read or tried to draw. In the end she just ended up pacing her room wondering if you could force yourself away without a nightmare or alarm. She wondered if she could try it get herself into a deep sleep with the goal of waking herself up without any loud noise, interrupting lights or bad dreams. Then Natile came in.

Then the question was filed away with those like it. She probably stored it next to her lastest question that she pushed away. Sure 'was she losing it' and 'can you wake yourself up from sleep unprompted" weren't alphabetical but she never really had that organized of a system.

….

The game wasn't exactly Saturday night lights, the stands were smaller than the bleachers she saw on tv instead there were the small metal ones with pitched tents dotted at the ends. What it did have was people. Lots of people.

Every kind of person, mom's dad's, brother, sisters , supportive girlfriends, boyfriends lacrosse lovers and just friends.

It was a whole event.

She walked triumphantly as Lydia huffed grappling at her oversized 'go Jackson go' sign. She had somehow led herself to believe that Rory would carry them for her but with Natile already knowing about the many detentions and even the car the blonde considered herself a free woman.

"You know I really thought you would do the right thing and carry these for me." She frowned, spinning on her heels to see that one of the posters had slipped and was currently threatening to hit the wet ground.

"No idea where you came up with that idea, ear muffs." Lydia stopped trying to save her signs long enough to give Rory quite the death glare.

"I don't say a word about the tree skirt you insist on wearing so you keep your mouth shut about my fashion choices." Maybe she would have been intimidating if she wasn't fighting a seemingly losing battle with an oversized sign.

"I'm just saying cheetah print and muted blue you'd have my head on a spike. I guess the queen is the only one who can get off scott free." The phrase only darkened her scowl.

"Do not remind me!" She hissed now glaring at the third poster as it slipped away.

"Do you really think he's gonna flake?" She asked amused by the chaos three pure white posters could cause Lydia Martin

"He better play." She was gritting her teeth together trying her damndest to press the posters to her side while keeping them from slipping into the mud or wrinkling.

"Hey guys!" Allison interjected her face immediately, growing confused as she watched Lydia struggle. "Do you need any help with carrying those?"

The voice came from behind them it was obviously older deeper and a bit gruff and from the way Lydia looked intrigued whoever it was she thought they were hot.

The man stepped past Rory grabbing the bottom of the poster with ease. He was tall with short grey salt and pepper hair and strikingly blue eyes. There were lines etched into his face that looked like came to early in life though.

"Thank you sir." Lydia coed grabbing A strand of hair and twirling it before shooting a glance at Allison. Rory might have been able to read the look but she really didn't want to. For her mental health of course. Goodman already said it was fairly lacking.

"Lydia, can you please?" Allison groaned as they found their seats. She understandably was finding it hard to come to terms with the fact that Lydia though her father was insanely hot. Rory just found herself insanely uncomfortable.

"She just has a thing for blue eyes I guess. Is there a place to get a snaaa-?" Her question was cut off by Allsion who forced her to switch places. Almost falling on her face was justified by the fact that Lydia was now three seats away from her father.

"They usually sell concessions over at the tents." Lydia said with an audible sniff as she placed her signs safety Infront of her.

"Did you bring any snacks Al?" She asked turning to the girl hopefully she hadn't really had an appetite in the past couple of months but in a moment she had a sudden craving. She needed something sweet.

"Well no I didn't think about it sorry." Allison apologies and she shrugged deciding to suppress the craving.

"So your Allsions dad?" She asked leaning forward to look at the man though her question was a little stupid.

"Yes I am, it's nice to meet you, Rory right?" She cracked a Cheshire grin happy that her name had gotten around. It was like Avey's mom knowing Ariel so we'll. And the thought made her craving go away completely.

"That's me sir so are you a werewolf hunter?" She asked and by the look in his eyes he didn't take it as a joke.

"Oh my god Rory please stop with that. Remember mom told you about my friend who reads a lot of fairy tales well this is the friend." Allsion laughed playfully gesturing at the girl. "She was talking about some old french legend she read about that had our name in it. But i told her they probably because argent means silver and silver is what kills the werewolf's." By the end of the sentence Allison trailed off as a look of understanding grew more firm on her fathers face.

Rory was but about object to the notion since she had told Allison serveral times that silver couldn't kill a were wolf but her father spoke first.

"Alright then. Well I don't want to disappoint you but my job isn't that exciting. I sell firearms to law enforcement. It does leads me to different interesting places though." He smiled in a way that Rory found oddly approachable.

Which was fine. It was okay to be approachable but it was odd. Odd because his blue eyes were steeled over. He had those same defenses as Allsion did but whilel her walls were smooth and a shiny a mere deflection mechanism his were barbed with lighthouses and little men with guns guarding it.

"Yeah thats the main perk of the job." Allsion perked up she smiled at her dad playfully. "that and running out in the middle of the night with duffle bags stuffed with glocks and AK-47s." Lydia stiffened a bit beside her eyes taking the girl in again as if to reexamine her.

"Oh come on you know I don't do that, all the time."

"Hey we're are you going?" Allsion asked, her smile fading as Lydia stood up, a determined look on her face. "I'm taking care of something. I'll be back." She huffed squaring her shoulders and taming her features.

They sat there watching the girl as she strutted down the bleachers past the group that usually sat with her at lunch. She didn't give them as much of a glance but they we're looking at her.

"What do you think she's doing?" Allsion asked, leaning closer to Rory.

"Gotta be some power play you know Lydia she's weird like that."

"Well yeah." They were about to fall into silence when she gave her a guilty look. "So I heard you got grounded."

"Yep, for the weekend. I'm not upset about it. Well, except for therapy."

"You went into the woods by yourself and only got grounded for the weekend?" Allsion asked her eyes flickering to her dad. "I'd never live that down."

She probably wouldn't either if Natile was her real mother. The only reason she was even under Nat's care was because she was held hostage for three hours. It gave her a get out of jail free card.. a couple actually but she probably was running out at this point.

"Well it's a bit different for us but she only took my phone and my computer. I can live with that in New York we only had one computer and my old phone wasn't exactly funcional. Besides, she's not exactly hauling my book shelf out yet so I'm not really bothered."

"What was it like.. in New York you don't really talk about it."

"Did you ever live there?" She asked and watched as Allsion leaned back a bit thinking. "No. Actually we usually move to rural areas or county's. This is probably the fortieth small town I've lived in."

"Then you'll probably have no interest. People always say it's the big city or the big apple or what ever but I lived in Brooklyn and I didn't live in a brownstone either. Just some dinky apartment with two bedrooms and one shower." She said all this but she was picturing Allison's huge ass house not allowing herself to think of the small apartment she used to live in.

"But what about your sister?" The question was ask so slowly and cautiously that it made Rory feel more like a wild animal than a person.

"We shared a room. That wasn't a big deal. I would usually end up sleeping in the living room when she had her sleepovers or she was upset." She kept calm aloof even as she answered the question but she was recognizing how it was starting to shift into a conversation that Aurora did not want to have. Then Lydia sat down with a huff.

"We better not lose this game."

And like that the conversation dissolved turned to ash and flitted away in a gust of wind.

"Wait there he goes." Al whispered to Rory, tightening her grip on her hand.

Scott seemed to finally get a skip in his step as he neared the ball lowering his net to capture it. So far he had more or less been playing a game of keep away with his own team rather than actually playing. Then there was Jackson coming in to ruin any glory the guy could of possibly had.

"Whoo! Whoo! Rory!" Lydia hissed her smile fading as Rory stayed glued to the bench.

"Yeah no." She hissed moving away from the two girls that were basically closing in on her to hold up the sigh. "I don't think we should celebrate a captain taking out his own teammate." It was hypocritical on her part since she was the only one who laughed when Captain Hook shot one of his men for singing. Apparently it wasn't supposed to show the cruelty of the captain but she always thought that he had it out for the guy. A last straw kind of thing.

But this was Jackson, he wasn't a character who was misinterpreted and villainized. He was just a bratty narcissistic egomaniac who craved the spotlight.

And that spotlight was currently getting eclipsed by one Scott McCall and she was sure that he was trying his damndest to crush whatever potential the guy could have. Scott seemed to notice because he was staring at the huddled group and his shoulders heaving. But then he looked back. At the stands. At Allison.

It probably was a blow seeing the girl who he liked holding up a 'WE LUV U JACKSON' sign in wonky letters. And she became extremely unsettled.

Her hands shook and her knee bounced, her hand reached out and she took Alison's free hand again, lacing it with her own.

"What are you doing?" Lydia asked yanking her hand away and she realized then that she reached for the strawberry blonde's hand too.

"I need snacks. Can I have some money I-i need something sweet." Her eyes felt like they were bulging out of her skull. She probably looked like that bunny her sister was always wanting her to be but at the moment she didn't care.

"Yeah sure, just calm down." Lydia's lip curled but her eyes were darting as she tried to understand why The blonde was acting mental.

"Oh, do you want me to come with you?"

Al, bless her. There was a clear look on her face and a shiftiness in her eye that told Aurora that she did not want to stop watching her crush so even though it made her stomach plummet the blonde waved her off.

She found it surprisingly cold for California even if it was January it wasn't supposed to be so murky. Then again with the tall pine trees and all around blue feeling she found herself wondering if she even was in Cali.

Maybe she was in a dream. She's been doing the opposite of that a lot thinking she was dreaming while being completely awake. Maybe it could be the other way around. Looking up, the sky stayed it's inky blue, not willing to change to the vibrant lavender she was trying to codger up. That didn't completely rule out her being asleep. After all, all the bastard did was go on and on about how she was losing control of her mind and how chaotic it could be for a young seeress or whatever.

The man could tell her that Lydia was a control freak and she'd laugh in his face because no matter how true it was she couldn't believe it if it came from him.

It was tainted if it came from him.

Thats why she forced herself to calm down and read the small menu at the booth. "Hot chocolate." She found herself saying absentmindedly as her eyes scrolled the limited choices on the laminated sheet.

"And a hot cake." She wasn't exactly sure what the was but it was but she thought it must have been sweet. Maybe it was like a cinnamon roll or something.

The man seemed to stumble a bit and there was a slightly nervous look on his face. "Are you out?"

"No, we just don't have any ready at the moment. They sold faster than usual." He told her he even opened the small mini oven thing to emphasize his point.

"So is it like a cinnabon?" The man nodded and she decided that she wanted one.

"How long until one is ready?"

"Uh how about this I can make it then come and get you okay?" She nodded at him taking out the five dollars for the sweet and as well as the three for the hot chocolate.

"Yeah, fine by me."

Shrugging, she took the cup. It wasn't some cheap styrofoam like she had expected but put in a coffee cup with a lid. It was nice and she felt better knowing that when the girls stood up they wouldn't knock hot liquid all over her.

It was only when she was half way back to the stands that she realized that she hadn't even thought of Allison or even Lydia. Which was strange because she always thought about Ariel first. So why didn't she think of her friend?

Looking down at the remaining cash she realized she didn't have enough to go back and get something for both of them.

"Here." She grumbled handing both girls their own cup of hot chocolates before tying her hands together.

"We didn't ask for anything?" Lydia eyes narrowed in a way that made Rory think that maybe Nat let her daughter in on her cousins past of pranks.

"I could've given you some money." Allison said in a low voice, noticing that Rory didn't have anything.

"Nah I have a cinnabon coming my way there just not ready yet." It was easy to wave her off after all this wasn't the first time Rory went without something cause she gave it away. And sure she could just ask Lydia for more money but doing that would make her want to scratch her eyeballs out.

"Well you missed quite the turn around." Lydia sneered bringing the drink to her lips, her eyes never leaving the players on the field.

Looking down toward the field she snorted out a laugh as Finstock screamed to his players 'Mccall pass to Mccall!' but that what made her laugh even harder was the equally excitable Stilinski who was trailing behind him like a shadow waving his hands over his head and jumping up and down. By the time the two settled down Scott had taken dominance over the field. He seemed to have such an iron grip over the game now that when a player in white scoped up the ball he took one look at Scott and tossed it at him.

"What the-" she could hear Lydia beside her but it faded as she watched number 11 zip around the guy and headed for the goal dodging every player before throwing the ball through the goalies net into the goal. Her fingers around… around.. Whose hand was she holding? Looking down she found she had sought out Allison's hand again holding on to it like it was a life line.

"That was amazing was it!" Allison beamed turning her whole face to Rorys who forced a smile.

Nothing felt right in that moment; she didn't feel the slicing wind or the tight knit crowd. She didn't hear Lydia beside her groaning or the couch's argument.

All she felt was an overwhelming heat. It was different from usual when her fingers would ice over this time they were burning. It reminded her of the hot poker, how it sizzled as it touched her skin and burnt into her flesh. The heat was overwhelming and it didn't stay at her fingers it trailed up like a blaze in the forest finding the dry trunk of an ever expanding tree.

When she stood up she found the rest of the stands standing with her Allsions grip on her hand tightening as she bright it up to her chest.

"You can do it Scott!"

Then it was over.. The game was over. But Rory still felt like she needed to puke. The heat turned into quick nauseous and she let go of Allsions hand before she could drag her down the bleachers. It didn't feel safe, it didn't feel like a good idea. It was like she was trudging up the stairs to her apartment all over again; it was like her body had been worn down with bags of gifts.

She had felt this before the looming feeling of dread and nausea.

She had ignored it that time too.

Weary, she moved away. Away from the crowd and away from the people and they moved away from her. Maybe the cinnabon guy had her order, maybe he forgot. She wanted to go see to get her mind off of the feeling. She moved down the line of bleachers until she came to the last one where she could see Sheriff Stilinski picking up a phone call and then the concession stands guy he was holding a container and looking into the crowd and she hopped he was looking for her.

She neared him feeling amused by the streams of disappointed 'uh-huhs' coming from the sheriff and the man perked up finally catching sight of her.

"Is that mine?"

He looked down at the container, the heat from the cinnabon steaming up the lid.

"Yeah i'm sorry that it took so long. The dang oven just went off. I couldn't get it work until a five minutes ago." He told her goodnaturedly, handing the hot container over to her.

"Thats fine im just happy you didn't just give up and stiff me so yeah thanks" she gave a tight lipped smile turning before she looked back. "Do you do concessions at all the games or did you just volunteer?" In truth she didn't know why she was asking. Maybe it was because he could have just kept her five but he smiled.

"Me and the wife do it. It keeps people warm. '' He answered as she opened the container looking down at the cinnabon that looked homemade.

"My wife Roxy makes them. She loves baking and people love her cooking. Thats why we call them hot cakes because thats what they sell like. She has a little shop in town the names on the package if you like it and dont want to wait for the games you can stop by."

"Yeah well thanks sir." looking over the container her hands pressed against a thick card stock but she ignore it for the time being.

"No problem." The man smiled and she started unwrapping the fork when she noticed an engraving on the plastic of the container that read Myers Cakes. She thought maybe she had seen it maybe once in a passing glance when she was out with Allsion or Lydia but she really didn't know.

…….

"Scotty!"

Rory's head thumped against the table. She didn't know how many times number 21 had shouted the boy's name like he was on his fifth shot of vodka but it was starting to give her a headache.

Looking down at the remains of what once sat a whole pizza she sighed, her head falling into her head and her pinky found its place between her teeth.

"Well this is torture." She said though no one was around to hear which led the question of if a Rory complained and no one was around to hear it did her complaining even mean shit?

Probably not.

But if someone was around to hear, maybe she could irritate them even just a little.

God she wanted someone to irritate.

Lydia was out at the moment since she was giving all her attention to Allsion and Scott though Rory was sure those sultry smiles, hair twirling and batting eyelashes weren't meant for Allison. A snake in the grass that's what she was fuck being a siren she was a snake. But then again the defeated death glare and all around murderous aura coming from Jackson almost made Lydia's slithering snakeyness worth it.

Jackson, she snorted out loud just looking at him.

He had really been kicked right off his glass pedestal and delivered unceremoniously to the hard ground below. Despite him making the majority of the shots for the entire first half of the game despite him being the captain despite him being Jackson Whittmore he was all but forgotten about.

Because he never made a ball rip through a net he never somehow intimidated the other team to give him the ball and he never had the coach literally jumping for joy on the sideline. Of course the golden boy would be dethroned. It was inevitable and honestly it was beautiful.

She wanted to gloat! She wanted to rub it in his face until the cows came home or however the saying goes. She wanted to watch his entire face distort but she didn't.

It was Bull shit really.

At the moment she was stuck in the back watching as number 6 and 42 whooped and swayed waiting for the next lines of 'we are the champions' at the karaoke machine which was so far the highlight of the night.

"They have great chemistry don't they?" A guy asked, taking the empty seat beside her. He was sporting the number 8 on his jersey but his dark hair looked freshly styled like it hadn't even felt the weight of a helmet.

"I want to be on whatever the hell there on." she said her eyes glued to the two as they slung there arms over the others shoulder belting out the last part of the song.

"I'm sure they wouldn't sell it even if they could." She looked at him, his mouth was quirked up in a smirk that didn't quite match his dark brooding brow.

"Not everyone wants to be a millionaire I guess."

"Yeah I guess" he covered his frown then like he had made a joke that didn't quite land. She knew that look she had wore it several times in her llife.

"So uh, have you found that uh Aussies' home yet?" He asked clearing his throat suddenly stumbling over his words.

"You knew about that, how?" Her brow quirked and she recognized that she sounded a bit rude; she just didn't exactly care.

"Oh uh Allsion didn't tell you?" He flushed suddenly His hand going to scratch his head. "I'm in the AV club. I was the one sent to take the pictures." He turned from her his hands ripping open his gym bag before he dug around determined to prove something.

"I sent her a few of my better shots to have her verify which one she wanted." He was talking fast and clicking his phone on faster. He got into their text before clicking on the pictures of the familiar Aussie.

"See. She really liked the one where she's smiling at the camera. I had to wave a treat around to get it."

"Oh." She nodded, noticing the wall of text that was his green bubbles and how they eclipsed her smaller blue ones. "Well I haven't heard anything, why are you interested?" She could see the red patch rising up the his neck under the bulk of his uniform.

"What?"

"In the dog?" She asked even though she didn't exactly feel like she should be clarifying since it seemed pretty simple of a question to her.

"Oh? No I was just wondering."

"Uh huh." She nodded now taken out of the conversation. She knew this.

A lot of guys did things like this they didn't want to talk to Ariel no that was too intimidating they needed to make sure they didn't screw up. So talk up her sister to see if she doesn't think your a complete creep then strike like a cobra.

"What's your name?" She asked lazily leaning back in her chair.

"Matt and your Rory right? Rory Lovette I heard you tell like every teacher to call you that."

"Yeah that's me. You know since you have Allsions number why dont you just ask her?" flicker of something that worked better with the harsh brow.

"Uh yeah I would but." He looked forward to where Allsion sat in the middle, a giggling blushing mess next to her crush and current king of the night. "She's kind of busy."

"What you don't think you could fit yourself in?" Maybe it was the deadpanned way she said it or maybe it was the way her bored eyes drilled into him but he didn't like her comment. In fact he hated it.

She stood then before he could retort. "Since your not going to I'll take your spot." She walked away and instantly regretted it. She should of stayed should of gotten into a fight she should've pushed until that flicker took his entire being. Instead she strolled off like a coward.

God when did she become so boring.

She wanted to fight damn it what did she need do to accomplish that join the damn debate team?

Then Lydia presented herself stomping out of the hallway that led to the bathroom looking far more pissed than her usual facade would allow her hand coming up to her face and behind her was Jackson looking equal parts surprised and angry.

There that could be a fight, it was ripe and for the taking.

"Oh Rory good i was going to come looking for you when did you want to go home tonight? Or could you have Allison take you home?"

"What?" Well that wasn't expected she hadn't exactly thought she would catch her outside with her compact in hand blotting at her nose. There was an obvious purplish hue on her cupid's bow that she was casually trying to cover.

Rolling her eyes the strawberry blonde looked up from the small mirror and raised a brow at her. "When do you want to go home? I'm going over to Jackson's later this whole Merical MCcall thing has seriously put him on edge so I'm going to." her eyes flickered suggestively as she added a sultry smile. "Help calm his nerves. You'll need to cover for me."

"Cover for you?

"Thats what I said isnt it?

"Wh- no im not going to cover for you. Just go get your quickie out in the alleyway and get it over with I'm sure it doesn't take all night!" There it was the flame it ignited growing higher than a wildfire it swirled in her eyes as she snapped her compact shut.

"First do not compare me to some alleyway hussie and second you will cover me you owe me."

"Is that bruise?" She asked accusingly, taking a step closer she saw it better now the blotchy patch that sat on her cousin's cupid bow showing under the powder concealer in the harsh street light.

"No. its just-"

"Just?" she mocked but it didn't feel the same. Her hands flexed at her side an satisfying feeling washing over her. "What did Jackson do that?" she watched her cousins reaction carefully her eyes widened at the question before they narrowed.

"No he didn't. Jackson is a lot of things but he is not abusive."

"You sound real sure of yourself but you still have a bruise."

"You." she said, crossing her arms and turning her entire body taking a sudden confident stance, a check mate of sorts.

"Me?"

"You did this."

"Sure." the Blonde hissed, rolling her eyes.

"You did. Remember before my party when you basically head butted me!" Rory blinked a blank expression taking her features. Did she do that? She didn't remember.

"I-"

"No you did. But I'm not surprised you don't even remember it. You've been so far up your own ass I doubt you notice anything going on around you." suddenly Rory was on the defensive she was hardly in the defensive and it wasn't even because she was in the right. She was just too damn stubborn to shut.

"I could have been here monday. I could have been there when he got rammed down but instead I was stuck in Brooklyn because you couldn't be bothered to drag yourself out of bed! I could have actually gone to Tracey sleepover."

"You actually wanted to go to that thing?" Rory raising a brow she had forgotten all about the sleepover and Tracy for that matter.

"No not really but i needed to be there." Her eyes shifted and Rory took in how little Lydia's friends had seemed to stick around.

"What was there some kind of topple in the hierarchy or some shit?"

"You know what Aurora, you just don't get it and honestly I understand why you never had any friends. You've been your sister lacky your entire life so of course you have no understanding of social grace. But you know what I wish you would learn something at least then being around you wouldn't be so insufferable." She hadn't actually slapped Rory across the face, she hadn't even curb stomped her into the cracked concrete but that's what it felt like.

Externally all Rory could do stare at her with narrowing eyes but internally she was racking her mind looking for every little detail she knew about Lydia Martin every hair out of place every imperfect misstep. She was weighing if burning down the entire Martin cottage was too excessive or not excessive enough. She was pondering if she should key her damn car or just break the heel off every Prada and louis Vetton she owned.

The ideas came and went each molding to meet the standards of the girl in front of her. It was all too familiar all too consuming something she had done so many times before the hyperfixation that caused her to throw a ball in a boy's face at the ripe age of 8 and sprinkle itching powder on someone's scalp for a week straight. And of course there was a comman thread that ran threw each and every offense she had ever done.

Ariel.

She usually worked on command, may it be a 'i just want him to know how it feels to be made fun of because of something he can't control' or a subtle 'She just doesn't like me Rors not everyone will like me'. Then there was the blaring 'he humiliated me in front of everyone.'

She never got a reward for that last one even though she put a lot of effort into it. Instead she was punished Ariel punished her for doing what she was told she made him pay she humiliated him. But Ariel still punished her.

'Look i don't want any part of this i'm going to my driving lessons this is just taking things way too far i can't support this Aurora. If this is how your going to defend me I might as well go to Waldorf.' The words were haunting; they spiraled a terrifying twister in her mind.

It was her best worst work but the only person she did it for was dead. Was that irony she didn't know she just knew that she caused her sister to run away.

"And look at that you're zoned out again. What were you thinking of ways to get back at me cause I said something about your sister? You know her friends talked to me after you left and they told me about all the things you did to get her in trouble. They told me a lot actually so I think you will cover for me tonight and any other night got it." Her words sounded like she was finishing off her game by presenting some high and mighty powermove but Rory was only confused.

"What are you even talking about?"

"What was I not clear, you know I always thought that you didn't talk about her because you felt bad but now I just think you feel guilty. You spent your entire life jealous of your sister and trying to make her life hell and when she finally was able to leave she's killed. You know that they think you killed her right? Along with your dad." Lydia was maybe a couple inches taller then Rory and with her heels that was extended but at the moment it didn't matter at that moment Rory took her by the collar and pulled her to her height.

"I would never. How dare you even suggest! I did everything for my sister. I followed every order she gave me I got my hands dirty and spent hours getting trouble for her. I defended her I took responsiblity every single fucking time. How could you even suggest that." Lydias self satisfied smirk faltered for a moment before coming back full force.

"Oh, it wasn't me it was your sister's friend I'm only saying what they told me so go in just the messager." She stepped back how could they think she was ever trying to do anything but honor her sister.

"They were pretty open about it. They honestly believed you were just jealous of her; they said she thought you were out to get her in trouble." The world slowed as she took in the sudden shift in Lydia's tone; she wasn't being queen bee and she wasn't being a genius, she was just being genuine.

"No. Areil always knew what I was doing. She wanted to do it she rewarded me." Looking down at the cloak she pulled at it. "She gave me this because I got back at Jordan for what she did at the winter dance. See, it had to be because she put it in my locker on her birthday." Her hand clasped the eagle pendant as if her life depended on it. It was proof it was her only real proof since everything else went up in a blaze.

"Rory you two were born on the same day so wouldn't it be a birthday gift."

"No." The word was monotone and her face felt robotic a contrast to how Lydia looked. She looked skeptical but she mostly looked taken aback.

"No? Your fraternal twins you were born on the same day."

"No, I was born at midnight. So I can't celebrate my birthday until then. We had a tradition were we would stay up and watch movies so she could say happy birthday to me. We did it every year. A- she was born before me so she got the 12th and got I the 13th." Even though they celebrated it technically on the same day Ariel said that Rory wasn't really another year older until midnight.

"Okay but Areil didn't give you that." Her body froze and it felt like the entire world stood still. The chilling feeling started at her fingures tips and rose up her arm until it reached her shoulders.

Lydia who had no idea of the sudden mental terminal that was going on in Rory's head comtinued

"It was your neighbor Mrs. Clearly she made it for you out of her old Christmas skirt. She gave it to Arial to give to you. I guess she took credit for it." The sky above could have broken apart and kathule could have come down and Rory probably wouldn't have cared because Lydia was lying right to her face. She had to have been lying because Ariel said she bought it for her she said she saw and thought of her she said it was her gift.

She put it in her locker to find.

"Maybe you should look more into your sister cause there's some things that don't add up don't you think?"

Then she marched off leaving Rory alone with her thoughts.

Her room was a mess. It had been that way since she had gotten home Friday night. She had searched her entire room, the suitcase she had brought to New York and even the red suit cases once, twice, six times before she had to come to terms with the fact that the phone was missing.

Lydia's nuke strike Friday had fucked her over almost as bad as seeing Laura turn into a monstrosity in the woods.

She wasn't coping not well at least. She had smiled for Allsion who was excitedly talking about the plans she made with Scott for Tuesday. She smiled for Nat when she covered for Lydia but that smile broke when she closed the door to her room.

Lydia had to be lying, she had to be lying so she could get her way so she could inenstate that control she loved wielding.

The phone would prove it.

She was sure of that she would find the phone and check the messages proving that one Aerial never thought Rory was actively trying to get her in trouble and two that her cloak was from Ariel. But she couldn't fucking find it! It wasn't anywhere.

"Aurora this room!" The gasp came from the door where Nat stood, teeth pressed together and lips pulled into a line.

"Sorry Nat, I'll clean it, I just need to find something." The blond said, waving the women off.

"What is so important that you need to tear your room apart." Rory paused then her hands stopped there sifting. She took a moment then divided. "It's nothing I don't really know what I was looking for." Pushing back the hair that fell into her face she sat up looking over at Nat who didn't look too convinced.

"I guess I forgotten what it was while was looking." She laughed in a care free way but again Nat didn't really believe her, her arms crossed over her chest and she shifted her weight to another foot.

"Alright if you forgot that's fine you should go ahead and start getting dressed then we are supposed to be seeing Goodman in an hour." The smile dropped sliding off her face and it took a second before she could carefully craft her bored expression.

She let out an audible dramatic groan as she flopped onto the white carpet. She let out a low hiss as her paintbrush jar dug into her back happy to let her know how much it didn't like it's position on the floor and not on her desk.

"And you should know I want this room clean when we get back. Got it, you're still grounded." That's right she was still grounded. It was weird to think that someone's grounding system could still involve socializing with the outside world but it seemed Nat had molded this punishment for Rory specifically. What better way to punish her than to force her to go to games and after party pizza and therapy.

"You know you could take all the stuff right? Lock me up and throw away the key?" She felt like she was baiting the women as they got into the car but she didn't know why the hollow and icy feeling Lydia had left in her chest had left her high and dry. Unwilling to argue her only goal now was to gather Intel to pursue.

"I could. Would that work for you Rory being allowed to stay in bed in all day only coming out of your room to do the chores?"

"That's what the evil stepmother did and Ella was way less offensive then I was. I mean she just snuck out to visit a tree and went to a ball I.. well I have a list."

"Well I don't think I'd cut my daughter's feet just so she could fit into some shoes so I'd say I'm not the evil stepmother." Rory grinned at that her arms brushing against the fleece lining of her clock and she suddenly frowned.

"Did you meet a Mrs. Clearly at the funeral?" Nat went silent for a moment thinking about the answer before she let out an uncomfortable laugh. If you could even call it a laugh it was more like a 'hm'.

"You introduced us to her Rory? She was you're neighbor? She was happy that you got her cloak?"

The white puffy clouds floated ahead as the car sped down the road. Rory watched them unable to look at the woman next to her.

"She made me this clock for my birthday." To her it was a question but she phrased it like a statement, her voice blank, her mind plugging through memories but she didn't remember the funeral now that she thought about it. The weekend was blanking on her. She remembered arriving to new York and Lydia forcing her awake to get back to school since Jacksons shoulder was fucked. But she couldn't remember the in between it was bazare.

"Yes. She said she did she made it from her old Christmas skirt if I remember correct."

"Oh. Why do you keep giving me gifts?"

"Because of those girl." There was a clipped note in her voice now. "You didn't get anything for your birthday your mom told me that much with the fire and all but when we went and those girls had so many gifts for Ariel." She trailed off but Rory didn't know what her face was expressing.

"So you do pity me? You told me you didn't."

"I don't but I feel like you deserve what your sister had to. I just don't think that girl should've cause a scene. They had no right." Those girls must of been Ariel's friend and the one causing a scene must of been Avey.

In all honestly she couldn't tell. She thought that maybe she could ask Laura later tonight.

As morbid as it may seem the woman had become quite the confidant since she came back. Sure she might be a figment of her imagination sure she might be a trauma response to somehow seeing another dead body in the woods but she liked Laura even if that was the point. Laura never got close to the door and when her father tried to bug her she would intervene.

She told her more about her family before the fire and she would get this fond look on her face as she went on and on about her little brother and sister. She could see the stern respect when she talked about her mother and though she never talked about her father she did mention her annoyingly comedic uncle.

And in turn Laura listened.

Her face would change with each different story Rory would regal but she wouldn't interrupt her. She may have been a coping mechanism but Rory was okay with it. She made her feel less alone.

"But it's okay. You don't ever have to see those girls again if you don't want to."

"I used to be friends with all of them. In fact Avey was my first friend." She thought maybe if she opened up here in the car on the way then Nat would start to relapse a shrink was bullshit.

"I can see it with those other girls they had some respect but the dark haired girl, the one with the Bob, is that Avey?"

"Yeah. She we met in in second grade in time out." Her dead tone wasn't going to do for this so she forced herself to relax.

"We kind of did everything together but her mom was having issues with her dad so when he was kicked out she just became a meniance. She would fight teachers and spit on students. Her mom decided that since i was a decently bad kid, we should be around each other." She paused she was leaving out the part were Avey was only acting that way because she was imitating her fathers abusive behavior.

"Her mom liked Ariel; she was considered a better influence so she allowed her over. We were supposed to still be stay friends even after that but Avey just kind of drifted away from me." It was more like Aveys mom kept trying to chaperone so Rory could never join them.

"I met her in the hospital, you know. She wanted to talk to your mom. Was Avey always close to your sister?" The question seemed to materialize out of the blue but she thought about it regardless.

"Well not really she started to come over more after Avery's dad left she didn't like her dad."

"Uh huh after her mother said she preferred Ariel?"

"Yeah I guess." They sat in silence after that. Rory didn't think much about it like Natile had wanted her to instead she made shapes in the clouds and kept them to herself.

"I really want to talk to you today Rory. I really think you should try and open up just a little bit more. Natile told she that's she's worried you're not adjusting well. What do you think."

Rory thought a lot of things that this whole session was crap that maybe she should check through her purse just one more time for the phone that Lydia had the whole ass sword of Damocles hanging over the blonde's head that a cloud looked suspiciously like a lion throwing up a smaller lion.

"I think that necromancer is quite a funny word, don't you agree, Dr. Goodman."

"I think you bring up the dead at least once every session. Out of all the uncomfortable topics you could bring up, the first thing you bring up is always specifically about death. Now do you think that's because you're unable to come to terms with your loved ones death so you must find a way to let it out in your own way."

She frowned practically feeling the verble 'gotcha' snake around her body and gripping tightly.

"And that's enough for one session I'll be in the lobby finding that red headed nurse she kind of hates me but it's better then here." Of course Natile wasn't going to let her leave but Rory did get a nice long look at her perfectly manicured nails when her hand shot out and took residence on her arm.

"Rory have you even started to come to terms with the loss of your sister? Your mother? Your father even?" The doctor asked his grey eyes searching her.. well more like probing poking at every corner of her face that twitch that would let him in.

"Cause seeing them in a casket couldn't have possibly put things into perspective. No I guess I'm still in denial." The tip of her pinky was starting to feel numb from how much her teeth had been abusing it lately. This guy must've thought she was even psycho or bat shit to think she didn't even get the mere concept of them being dead.

She knew.

She's known for months.

She wasn't in denial about that.

This guy should go fuck off.

"Rory, could you please for once just take this seriously?" Natile had sat prim and proper using only her hand on the girls elbow indicate her presence asked in a strained voice.

"There's nothing to take seriously Nat! This isn't helping I'm not responding to it I don't want to talk about it not to this guy."

"You were doing so well in the car you opened up. I thought today we would make progress." The way she sniffed reminded Rory directly of Lydia which made sense but felt so strange.

"Then let us make progress. I just don't.. I don't think I can make progress with him."

"Well why's that?"

"I'm not sure."

"What was she like!" Rory hands clenched as the walls rose up they seemed whiter then usual like the padded cells you would see at a mental hospital.

"Who."

"Ariel, what was she like? You remember the child you named and favored for over 15 years, what was she like!" The thought of asking him sickened her but it didn't leave her with the icey chill it did when she was debating it earlier. I. Her dreams at least she was physically numb.

"Not the seeress. She was your sister, though wouldn't you know." His dark eyes narrowed and she wanted to rip them out, claw at them and feel the pop as they exited the sockets. "You are the one who idolized her. You probably favored her more than I did"

"So you're not actually going to answer? Huh, I should have guessed. You're just a figment of my imagination so you would only know what I know."

"How about you open the door. If you do that ill tell you everything you want to know about your sister. How she wasn't exactly the person she perceived herself to be open the door and Ill show you everything."

"Have you ever thought that maybe she doesn't want to make deals with you because she hates you?" Laura asked from her side of the room. She had made herself cozy in the corner in front of Rory's chair. She was lounging now her legs propped up against the wall her head lolled back to her grey eyes could prob the two.

"Not everyone gets to be the good guy!" Fire ignited in his dark eyes and she felt his rage bubbling to the surface.

It was an uncomfortable feeling and she didn't feel like listening to the two get into another fight.

Between the conflicting personalities of Jack ass father and protective older sister they easily got at each other throats. There fights were bitter but they never actually got near each other both staying on there respective sides.

"Laura." She started dropping the topic as much as she wanted to ask about Ariel; she just couldn't tolerate the bastards long enough to actually have a conversation with him.

"Why are you asking about Ariel?" Laura asked once the grumbling had died down.

"Tell me the story about how you got into fencing again?" Laura raised a brow knowing full well that Aurora was just trying to avoid the subject but she didn't dig. Instead she plunged into the story of how she got a bit to into the defensive rather then the offensive.

The same had been said with almost anything else she did. Kendo, judo, taekwondo, badminton. If it was competitive she would try it and she would get way to into it. Most people just said she was just too intense but she had just been raised that way.

At some point the conversation faded the walls fell away and the night sky showed itself behind those walls. She only opened her eyes when the fabric of her chair felt more like snake skin then velvet.

The long narrow place she found herself in was recognized immediately as a school bus with the dull grey seats that took up both walls and the tiny strip in the middle. The multiple windows tool up the top of each wall.

"Shit."

"Okay, what was that?" A voice whispered.

"It's fine, it's probably just the bus." The claim was followed by a girlish giggle and Rory popped up immediately.

"Oh gross-" her dreams had been doing a lovely job of traumatizing her but dreaming of Scott Allison mid makeout session was too far. She blanched, unable to tear her eyes away from the two sucking faces. Even if she did there would still be the noises, the smacks, small moans and giggles.

"Guys! Seriously don't you think I get enough of this shit from Jackass and Lydia." The two didn't stop though and felt the unflattering feeling of not being in control. It was just like the friday night when she was forced to walk through a forest.

This was either a dream or a living nightmare she couldn't exactly tell which. Then Scotts hand gripped the seat and she saw the nails start to grow. Smooth and fast the nails turned to clawd sharping as they grew too fast to be human.

"Yep dream this is a dream. Hey Scott. Scotty your nails. Might want to get that checked" at that point she was sure that this was just a dream, a harmless dream of her friend making out with her crush. It could have been worse really. She plopped down in the back seat, the small one that could only fit one and decided to wait out the storm sure that her walls would rise soon enough.

She watched out the window looking for mishaps in the chain link fence that surrounded the bus and noticed how dark the forest was. There was forest everywhere in Beacon to much for you to remember that your still in California.

"Get away." This drew her back into the contents of the bus Scott was hunched over now facing away from Allison who was looking at him worried.

"Scott." She breathed and that feeling came it was dread pooling in Rory's stomach and draining to her toes.

"Al." She stood at the ready because something wasn't right.

The girl backed away slowly from her crush before trying to full on sprint and Rory watched in horror as he hunched over to grab at her legs.

"Al!" She claimed over the seats thinking that if she could get ahead of her she could take Allsions hand and help her. It was only when she did get ahead of her that Rory realised that Allison was probably going to need therapy for life if this was actually happening. The thing holding onto her wasn't Scott anymore. Well it was it looked just like him if he had some sort of freakish mutation.

Other then the access hair on the side of his face and the now fully formed widows peaked nothing about him looked normal. His ears had grown out looking more selfish than human yellow eyes set deeply over a bulked up long nose and he had fucking fangs. Large pointed fangs that cause his mouth to hang open awkwardly.

Then he was sent back flying actually flying like in action movies. Allsion heeled foot stuck up in the air and suddenly Rory decided she would never question why a teenager would want to wear heels everyday to school.

"Come on Al." She didn't seem to recognize her but that didn't stop her from taking her hand and the two ran for the exitexit. Rory takin looking for the lever as Allsion worked to open the door with her bare hands.

The cracking came next the fracturing of metal and the freak of fucking nature was ripping out the back seat! And then throwing for what seemed liking no other reason then a power play of strength and possibly anger.

Her hands gripped against the lever and it was only then that she realized the damn thing wouldn't budge. Okay. New plan looking at the window she tried to determine which one she could push Allsion out of easier.

Then she saw it and if it wasn't for the raving lunatic that was climbing over the seats she would have suggested it. He was to close more then half way past the emergency window but he wasn't looking at her his eyes were on Allison. Okay she could distract him? If she was actually there like felt she was she could distract him and while she was doing that open the window and somehow somehow get Allsion through it.

She would have to try but honestly how the hell would she try.

So how do you approach a raving mad teen that looks like he wants to eat your best friend? Well according to Aurora Lovette it's to grab the trash bin that's under the drivers wheel and throw the whole thing at him. It got his attention. He looked at her pinning her down with glowing eyes and her hand gripped at the lever trying harder to forces it open when there was crack. Allsion had actually managed to open the door it was half way open and if she pushed just a little harder.

Then he was on her again his body covering her and then she screamed and blood splattered against the window.

"Allison!" Her head stuck out wrapping around a familiar rigid paper weight and threw it hoping to get him in the head again but it only collided with the robe that was hanging on her bedroom door.

The wight slide down the fabric need up thumping to the ground with a heavy thunk.

Aurora was not focused on the instead she was feeling around her night stand for her phone fumbling to turn it on and quickly diailing her last called number. She didn't know it but she was screaming the sheets in her bed twisting as the phone rang against her ear.

She didn't stop screaming until the fifth call when her voice came groggily through the speaker.

"Rory? Hey what's wrong."

"Where are you? Like right now where are you right now?" She asked her chest heaving against her sweater.

"What Rory? I'm at home in my bed. What's going on are you okay?"

"No.. No, I'm fine. I just.." she trailed off finally calming herself down. "I had a bad dream. That it's uh sorry I just wanted to make sure you didn't die." There was a slight laugh on the other end and Rory was pretty sure it was paired with a eyeroll.

"I'm not bed go to sleep I'll see you tomorrow. You can even check for a pulse if you want."

"Yeah I can.. I can do that. Goodnight Al ill see you tomorrow." Clicking the phone she couldn't ease herself down instead she stayed sitting for a good three minutes before the sobbing started.

She knew it was coming from the feeling in her nose that felt like she had just inhaled pepper. The hiccups followed then the heaving of her shoulders. She twisted violently as she embraced herself , her head falling into her arms and her knees drawing up to her chest. Her eyes became heavier as the tears rebelled against her spilling down her nose leaving wet salty trails.

She felt like a bunny then. The bunny she never wanted to be with wide eyes dripping tears down a quivering mess of a face.

Cat and mouse.

That was the game her and Lydia were currently in. It had gotten to the point where Rory suspected the pettiness must have been bedded in their blood.

Of course winning was almost impossible with Lydia smarter then you Martin but Rory wasn't made to back down. She was made to press even if she didn't persevere.

"So what's on the back of your neck?" Lydia asked, smacking the burgundy gloss giving a blazie tone to her voice.

"What's on the side of your?" She retorted pulling at the fleece of her cloak she could feel the fabric of the hood press against the open wounds but she ignored the sting.

"Jackson has been obsessing over Lacrosse videos. I had to do something to distract him. Your turn." She practically purred her manicured nails brushing over the expertly covered hickey.

"Lacrosse videos?"

"He thinks it's going to help tighten his technique. He wanted to do it all week but I persuaded him into watching a movie this weekend."

"The notebook I'm guessing?" Lydia's lips immediately turned up into a satisfied grin and she let out a hum. She knew it was tired and everyone was sick of it but she enjoyed having the power to make them watch it anyway.

"It's not like I can watch Pretty little Liars or the vampire diaries seeing as you take pleasure in actively ruining them."

"If there going to make a remake of a book they should be consistent about it."

"That didn't mean you had to tell me who A was, you completely ruined it!"

"You figured it out by the second episode!"

"That didn't mean I wanted you to confirm it!"

"I thought you liked being told how right you are!"

"You're impossible." With that Lydia opened her door and slid out and strangely enough there was no one to greet her.

Dias wasn't waiting like the puppy for her master and even Lydia seemed to notice.

"Where'd your friend go?" Rory asked, taking what usually was Dias' place.

"She's coming." Lydia hissed, sounding exactly much like a serpent. Her eyes might as well have been slitted as she watched Dia try to speed walk in heels over to the queen bee. Though she tried to hide it by making a bit of a b line, it was pretty obvious that she was coming over from he group that surrounded Harley's car.

"Lydia did you hear!" It was Tracy coming in hot from behind. She was breathless and her curly hair was coming out of its ponytail.

"About what?"

"About the attack the girls were just talking about it. Someone was attacked on the buses!"

"Yeah there's blood and claw marks, they think it's a mountain lion." There was a small scoff and it seemed Lydia didn't believe that a mountain lion would just attack a random guy on a bus either.

But.. but if it was.. her mind flashed back to Scott how he transformed almost like Laura did behind the house. He had turned into something had seen drawn out on the pages of her grandfather's journal.

Shit.

Shit.

Shit

Shit.

SHIT.

She turned and headed straight inside. Her first stop was first period but she didn't see Scott anywhere then it was down the halls. It wasn't until she saw him that something clicked that he to had had that nightmare. She knew it like she knew Mr. Hunnels wife was a gossip. His body jerked as he searched for what she assumed was Allsion.

When she finally reached him he was mid slamming his fist into a locker when her hand covered his eyes ignoring how her cold hands burned against his heated skin.

"Scott! Scott, calm down." Her voice was stern and even though she had to reach up just to cover his eyes he listened to her. Her other hand went for the back of his neck where she felt two wounds they were like hers but less fresh almost as if they were only halfway healed.

His body was tense and she felt like he could reach out and completely rearrange her entire face if he wanted to but she only pressed cause she felt like she had to like she felt like she had to cover for him after he flaked the first time.

"She's fine, Allison's fine. I talked to her and she's fine." She quickly pulled the when and the why but she didn't exactly feel like spilling her guts after it caused her to have an hour long cry. Then as if she knew it was the right choice she pushed him to the side until he relaxed and there was a sudden gasp.

She recoiled feeling her job was done as Allsion bent down picking up her books with a broad grin on her face. Then she took a step back Scott was distracted Allsion had took his mind off of Rorys sudden intervention in his rampage and this was her chance. Spinning on her heels her hands flexed at her side thinking that it should be her. That she should be the one who got to see Allsion first. That she should have shoved Scott aside and enveloped her in a hug. She should of felt her to ensure this wasn't a dream.

But she couldn't.

She just couldn't.

"Rory." She walked faster.

"Lovette wait! Hey wait, how did you. Why did you?" She ignored the energy that radiates from Stilinski and sped walked to her locker.

"Hey wait, I'm talking." Sighing she decided the best option was to be rude.

"I don't care." She spat the words like venom and her chest stayed cold and hollow.

"I can see that but I need to ask how did you do that. How did you know that he."

"Stilinski go bother someone else." Her foot stamped like a toddler and she ignored the jolt of pain the heel of her boot caused her calf.

"No, you need to explain how you knew. Because from the way things are adding up it's not going well in your favor." Her hand fiddled with the lock as she shot him a nasty glare.

She did not want to deal with this.

"And how are things adding up Stilinski?" She mimicked Lydia as she bit her words out the locker flying open and something heavy fell out plopping down at her feet with the thud.

Looking down she screamed at the big black mass that now laid limp at her feet. Her hands shook and her hands felt cold she instantly buffed them against the fleece of her cloak in attempt to warm them up.

"Oh." It was the only thing she could manage before she knelt down looking at the sagging neck of the bird. Its wings were spread out and if she wasn't already naturally paranoid she wouldn't have connected how the boor thing was forced to look like the bird that was currently keeping her cloak together.

"Stay out of my way little raven or I'll clips your wings." The words of her dreams danced around her skull and she paled. Taking the whole thing in, she noticed that there was something tied around its leg.

For all her curiosity for all the time and love she had put into mysteries and her begging everyone around her to play Clue she ignored the slip of paper.

"Wait, aren't you going to read it?" She then remebered that Stilinki was still fucking there watching her look pitifully at a dead raven.

"No."

"Why not?" The teen blanched throwing his entire body into the action.

"It's just going to be a threat."

"A threat?"

"I.. I think I was there last night."

"On the bus?"

"No at the ice cream shop. Yes on the bus I dreamed I was there but." Looking up she could see Scott and Allsion laughing and she sighed. It really should have been her.

"Allusions right there."

"Rory. Who's threatening you?"

She looked back at the raven looking hard at it's spread out staure and then up into honey eyes. Red glowing lanterns took her vision then and she knew.

"I need to bury it." Of course! Of fucking course. She could be in mortal parle Some monster might want her head on a plate and she was scared. Scared of the acknowledgement, scared of what this meant, scared that she might never recover and most of all scared that her father was right.

"What?" He seemed genuinely concerned as he watched her scope up the bird cradling it in her arms and make a beeline to the nearest exit.

That exit of course had a mutilated bus on the other side with five distinct jagged claw marks cut deeply into the emergency back that had been ripped open. Her stomach dropped at the sight but her feet moved carrying her around the bus and the yellow police tape until she saw an emergency window. It was wide open and she knew it was the exact window she was planning on somehow pushing Alison threw in her dream.

Shit.

Rory wasn't a coward.

She had stopped being a coward in first grade.

The blonde girl had busted a boy's nose and got him a permanent nickname that haunted him for years. She took the ISS for the incident with a hidden smile and a second hand copy of Welcome to dead house that was at the very least new to her. She wasn't meek, her stomach didn't churn easily but looking at the bus seeing it ripped into she felt an uneasy feeling creep into her and grab ahold of her tightly.

"I'm sorry miss but you can't be out here. We're still trying to work out exactly what happened." Turning she saw sheriff Stilinki whose eyes instantly were drawn to the black mass that she was clenching to her chest.

"Is that? Is that a bird."

"It's a raven." Her voice cracked suddenly feeling thick against her throat.

"Is it?" He paused examining it more thoroughly and her lips trembled and her body shook. It wasn't the usual vibration caused from a rush of adrenaline; it was a terrible shiver. She felt like she was freezing her brown cotton sweater feeling more distant from her skin then ever.

"It's dead. I found it in my locker." She was whispering now the tips of her fingers stocking the bird's smooth frame. It was pressed up aginst her clock and she didn't have the heart to wrench it's limps down to suit her hold.

"Someone put that in your locker? Do you know who?"

'I'll clip your wings and take you right out of the sky."

Rory Lovette had never felt her age more then did at that moment. Trembling in front of a sheriff with her entire body iced over and clutching a dead bird.

She was so young. So fucking young and yet she had outlived her entire family.

"Can you.. can you bury it for me. I don't think I can do it." She took a few strides forward before shoving the bird into the man's chest her eyes averted from the creature.

It was her. Or at least it was a representation of her. Forced into a position that she had no control over and left a hollow shell in a place she was unfamiliar with.

Or maybe she was dramatic.

She ignored the sheriff who was rightfully concerned over the whole ordeal and trudged back into the school because we're else would she go.

It took a few periods of heavy sulking and downcast eyes before Lydia grabbed hold of her arm and dragged her to

She had made it all all the way to speech class without a single outburst. She had listened to Mr. Cobb announce on and on about the new creative writing assignment that she didn't honestly expect such a lifeless teacher to conjure up. She half ass Mr. Haglers assignment over long division or something of that sort and now she was waiting for her turn in speech. She understood why Mrs. Tyler insisted on doing speeches on Monday rather than Friday but she never really cared until now.

She had her speech it was laid out in front of her. It was just a fluff piece on why vampires and romance should of not mix it had been fun and while writing it out she had vibrated at all the nerves she was going to hit. She had seen the 'team Edward' shirts and 'vampire diaries' gossip. She had been ready but the morning event had sucked all the fun out of it. Leaving her cold and hollow.

It was a feeling that she was growing accustomed to.

So she did what she did best when she felt blue.

Ruin absolutely everything.

Her introduction was now littered with flowers and tulips, puffy storm clouds, a lone wine glass that started out its life as a tulip. Stars, dots, and large expanding branches of a tree took up the main body and finally the tree's trunk and roots took the remaining conclusions.

By the time it was her turn there was more purple ink on the page then black and she couldn't tell whenshe was supposed to start in on the 'why would an immortal waste there time highschool' and end with 'if they're powerful why not take over the world?"

Her name was next and she could probably recite it from scratch but she had to turn the paper in afterwards. Her cheeks fell into her waiting palms and she blew out a breath.

"Excuse me Mrs. Taylor." The voice said softly from the door and she could see the sheriff poking his head in. "I need to speak with Aurora Faith please? We just have some questions about an incident that occured this morning. If you don't mind." He pulled him self through the door looking to casual to be there to make an arrest and seeing as there was no one there reading her 'her rights' with awaiting handcuffs she didn't suspect that she was introuble.

She didn't like hearing her real full name but this was the sheriff's she liked him.

That's what she told herself as she dragged her body out of the chair and avoided the eyes that followed her. They were already making assumptions, stirring gossip in their cauldrons and yeah it didn't look good but Rory didn't feel like she had it in her to glare. She just didn't have any fight left in her at all.

Her will didn't return to her even as she sat next to Natalie the women's long slender fingers resting on her wrist as if to steady the both of them.

"I want to start this by saying that your not in any trouble Ms. Faith." There was a moment were she was about to interject wanting desperately to both dismiss the name and make a comment about how that would honestly be a first but she just slumped in her chair, her mouth closing.

"Lovette." Natile said respectfully, giving a small nod. "It was her mother's name and if you don't mind please address her as such going forward."

There was a moment of understanding between the two that seemed to only be to come from adults.

"See I called you here because of the bird you found in your locker."

Raven.

"Bird? What bird?" Natile asked sitting straighter her hand coming to rest in her own lap as she looked at her blonde ward.

"She said she found it in her locker." There was moment when he withdrew a few picture that upon further inspection where pictures of the bird at different angles allowing it loling neck to be see rather easily in one.

"My god. Did someone put this in your locker?" The women gapped looking back at Rory who cut her eyes over at the women in a forelonged glace and shrugged.

"Well see." The sheriff interjected a bit awkwardly. "Not only is the bird itself.. disturbing but we also found this on its stomach." He set down another photo and this one was of the raven's chest, something Rory hadn't actually looked at in her panic.

There was a distinct cut in the flesh were the feathers had been plucked away just enough to show a sickening spiral. It reminded Rory of something that was familiar but far away in her mind. Maybe she seen it in a dream and didn't think it was actually important enough to store away.

Beside her Nat let out a low gasp, her hand coming up to cover her left mouth, her right shooting out to take Rory's hand.

"Do you know who might have done this?" From the way Nat's dark eyes shifted the blonde really couldn't tell if she was talking to her or the sheriff who gave a solemn shake of his head in response.

"I'm afraid not. See the issue is that we were going to chalk this all up as an animal attack but someone had to have put this bird in her locker. But whether it's related to the attack on the bus were not sure Rory, do you know anyone who might have done this." He asked grimmly guest ring to the photo his crows feet coming out full force around his eyes as they crinkled.

"Maybe someone who held a grudge against you or just wanted to scare you?" Rory tried to think but all she could truly come up with there those red lanterns and the voice that accompanied them.

"You think someone was targeting her?"

The words began to fade as Rory took a closer look at the pictures what about the note? The note she had completely ignored. It should of been in the pictures unless they had removed it but no they would have shown it to her just to see if she could make out who might have written it. Unless it had fallen off? It could be anywhere by now floating around the ether what was a highschool. Then what?

Did she care?

"Yeah no I don't." The answer was lame it was meek and it was hardly audible but it had somehow claimed it's way out of her throat and into the open air.

They stared at her. Hard. As if they were trying to pick her apart and unravel her words, face, eyes.

Did they not believe her?

What was the point in lying?

Who did she have to protect?

No one. Her mind played bitterly. She didn't have a damn person to protect. No one needed her not they way Arial did and without the services she provided what was she good for?

Allison?

No she couldn't even protect Alison in her own dream. She had tried to plan tried to fight even but in the end girls throat had been sliced open.

But if it had been Ariel.

She probably would of jump on him. Rory would of thrown her entire body onto Scott and let him rip her limb from limb. She would have let him tear into her skin, teeth and claws. She would of only hoped that her sacrifice would be enough to appease him while Alreil made a run for it.

But Areil.

She was gone.

It almost made every scheme every plot every perfectly decided plan seem meaningless.

All her life she had just wanted Areil to be happy and safe and coddled and now.. now all her efforts to do that were in vain blown away by a single bullet.

She didn't have to look up to know it was there looming in front of her like a ghost that would never leave. The door I all it's oak panles and golden knob. It hadn't made a physical appearance in quite some time but now she was vulnerable and it knew it somehow.

Her eyes shut and the white room appeared but the walls began to spawn replaced of the door they lined the walls looking at her caing her.

"Daddy please. We can forget this ever happen! Please don't do this!" The voice inticed her and Rory thought for just a moment that maybe if she just opened it that she would able to stop it. That maybe she could come how switch places and bleed out on the old wooden floor.

It was alluring. It's just her life. What was that compared to Areils? What did she deserve that Areil didn't?

Hand reached and the door was right Infront of her greedy for her.

Taking the handle she hissed and pulled away a burning feeling drjpped down her hand and she was back. Back to reality, back to the office, back to the sheriff and Nat.

"Aurora!"

Looking forward she found the burning had come from the sheriff's cup of coffee that she had unknowingly reached out for causing it to tipp and spill all over her hand. Drawing her hand closer she didn't want to cradle it instead she just looked at the red patches that now played over her skin.

Okay so maybe she was going a bit insane.

"Sorry what were you saying. I tuned you out." She didn't have to add that last part and from look on Nat's face she probably would have preferred that she didn't. So she gave a nervous giggle and a quick sorry to mellow it out.

Since she wasn't actually trying to be rude.

He seemed to take the apology because he gave an unreadable grunt but repeated himself.

"I was just asking if you could contact the police department if you think of anything."

"She will." Nat cut in before Rory could say anything her hand coming to cover the girls hand gripping it and Rory got the distinct feeling that she really wanted to cover her mouth.

"Well if there's nothing else you can go back to class. I think I heard the bell ring so it's probably going to be your next class." Rory frowned suddenly but she rose from her chair at the tap of her shoulder.

She felt a hand clasp the back of her neck as they headed for the door and she was suddenly all to aware.

Aware of the stiffness in Nat posture the strain in her smile. There was a thought that passed through her head and a feeling that sat in her gut "what did she do." It was unpleasant the stone that suddenly sat in the base of her stomach and the cold fear that come off it.

"Uh Sheriff." She ask turning waiting for Natiles hand to move.

It didn't.

"Did you convict that guy the one who killed the girl?" She asked suddenly using the vaguest set of words she could.

She felt like she had to know. For Laura's sake. If the man who killed her had been brought to justice. Sure she wasn't going to continue Laura's search. She wasn't that delusional but she just wanted to know. She wanted justice for Laura.

She just wanted her spirit to be free.

The man seemed to stiffen his feet shuffled and his lips when flat.

"No we had to let him go actually. The coroner said that it was an animal attack. I'm sorry but that's all I can say." He said it as if he was reading from a script very robotic for the usually laid back man.

An animal attack?

"Oh well that's stupid. I mean he's still dangerous." She said it as if it was a fact and to her it was. He had known where Allsion lived; he had been squatting at the old Hale house where he buried the body. What else did they need.

"And why would you say that Ms. Lovette?" He looked a lot like his son as he but his hands on his hips. But maybe it was more to say that Skilink looked a lot like his dad.

"I mean he was hiding out in a dilapidated house the same house he buried the girl on."

"Well that's a bit more complicated Ms. Lovette. He said he was just trying to bury his sister on there land even if the state reclaimed it.

"Sister?"

Well shit.

"Yeah." The sheriff looked awkward then as he scratched the back of his head. "The house that he was at, the Hale house, it was his family home."

Laura wasn't killed by her brother… her brother didn't even know that she was coming to California. She said she was meeting some mystery man. To help solve the her family's massacre.

"So it was an animal attack? Like the one on the bus this morning?" She asked ignoring the sting of Natalie gripping the back of her neck pressing against the open wound.

"That's all we have to go on for now." Once again the man was robotic, scripted.

"Do you think someone's letting out an animal on people?" There was a laugh, it was forced but covered.

"She has quite the imagination doesn't she? I think it's all the reading she does I keep telling her she should be a writer. Come on Rory let's not waste the man's time with speculation"

"She sure does. You know I think you should itd be a shame to let all that creativity go to waist."

She felt patronized it didn't matter how genuine the Sheriff sounded she found like a wide eyed pouty child.

"Come on Rory I think we should go we don't need to waist the man's time with wild conspiracy theories." The humor in her tone did wonders to cover the condensing underbelly and Rory thought for once that maybe this is why Lydia is the way she is.

Because no matter what no one really ever took her seriously.

She scrubbed the thought out as they exited the office. Lydia was too smart to feel inferior; she was too manipulative to cultivated in her craft. But then again how long had been playing her games, how long had she been the snake in the grass.

"Rory, I want you to tell me what happened?" Natile asked the moment they got into the hall. The award winning smile she had given the secretary as she fixed up Rory's permission slip had completely abandoned her face.

"Dunno." She shrugged her hand going to touch the back of her neck.

"I need you to be honest with me. This isn't one of your jokes or a prank those are serious deep wounds and your going to tell me how you got then."

"I don't know how I got them." Her voice didn't quiver and maybe it was supposed to. Maybe she was supposed to shrink at the withering look Natile was giving her. Maybe she was supposed to stutter and shake or something but someone doesn't get in trouble as much a Rory had and not feel used to it.

"If you don't tell me right now I will take you to the hospital and they can tell me."

"Okay it's probably the responsible thing to do anyway. We both can figure it out together." She shrugged and it was easy.

She was being honest and that was easy. She could of made an excuse her mind had made three diffrent sinerios already. Glass, a broken vase or maybe Prada just needed to get his nails trimmed but she didn't have to use them because those were lies. For once she could actually just tell the truth. And the truth was she didn't know.

"Aurora I'm not playing with you!"

"Yeah I can see that. But you don't believe me when I say I don't know. Isn't this supposed to be equal, aren't you supposed to support me?" She was using her truma card and sure it made her hyporict but if this was what she got for tell the truth then she was just going to use a power play.

"You can't use that all the time Aurora! What happened to you and your family was tragic but you cant use it to get out of everything! There was blood in your bed this morning. I just need you to tell me how it got there." She took a moment realizing that her control was slipping into something she couldn't come back from but Rory had seen this all too many times.

Mrs. Warble was the queen of this tactic. Granted it was more than your not going to be a minor forever and someday you're going to slip up and get caught in something you can't get out of spill but it was all the same really.

"Or what?" She asked, firming her stance.

"Or I won't be able to help you." After a breath she seemed to come up with the most harmless concussion.

"Help me? With what I don't need..'

"You do. Your mother and I talked at the hospital and felt the need to prepare me for you." Her voice was stern but subdued. There was a hollow silence as Rory took this in. What did she know? What could possibly know that could get her this frazzled? Rory was good; she had always been good; she got caught for the minor things and anything major had been planned out to the exact detail.

They never once accused her of putting iching powder incident or the when she broke Kelly's phone or when she humiliated Greg… well actually her sister knew. And so did her mother.. and.

Her stomach dropped and she met Natiles dark eyes.

Shit.

Reluctantly Nat sighed her eyes shutting for a moment before she looked back at her with more sympathetic eyes.

"I know. This is a big transition for both of us. I thought that after everything your mother had told me that I was prepared but… Rory I want to make this work. I know you can open up I just need you to trust me."

Rory blinked. Her brown eyes couldn't seem to decide if they wanted to narrow in suspicion or widen in surprise. Where was the boom? The nuclear blast was what she did, was thrown in her face and used as a leg up. She had a trump card hidden up her sleeve and she was trying to make things work?

Was this a trap? Was she waiting to use it for something more serious than a dead bird?

"Now if you want to take the rest of the day off I'd understand. I figure that you might be a bit disturbed by what happened this morning. I really wish you would have called me."

"I didn't think it was."

"I know you didn't but Rory what if someone is targeting you? What if someone put that bird in your locker as more than just a prank?"

"And if it is a threat?" She asked, her arms wrapping around herself under her cloak. "Then what."

"Then we will handle it. For now try not to worry and go back to class just call me if anything happens okay." Her hand caught the girl's shoulder and she felt whatever fight she had drained from her body. She felt subdued and flat was that it was that all she had to say?

Rory wished she would of brought it up thrown it in her face and caused a scene. She would off been more than happy to have a screaming match with her new caretaker in the middle of the hallway. But she was just trying to be caring and protective.

Did Rory want to be protected?

Or did she want to be ripped apart. Did she just want to dig her fingers into the core of the argument to quell the underlying fear that she had. The doubt and self loathing that festered and seeped through her body.

By the time she made it to Harrison's she didn't even feel like herself. She felt hollow and cold.

"Let me know if the separation anxiety gets to-" there was a pause as the man turned to look at the door. "Ms. Lovette you're late." Here was a perfect opportunity, a way to reignite her flame and leave her body vibrating.

"I'm sorry I was pulled away." Her voice was dead as she felt walking to the front of his desk she pressed the persimmon slip against the cool surface sliding it forward.

"I see." He hissed, snatching the paper and looking it over. "Alright go ahead and take a seat." He seemed annoyed and she would think that his level of pettiness was probably unprofessional.

Moving to the back she went to sit next to Erica knowing that the blonde girl wouldn't pry but Stilinki had already taken the seat and the only one she had left was at the one horizontal table in the back. Annoyed, she dropped her bag fully prepared to ignore Harrison and try to figure out the Hale situation.

She didn't give a shit what the coroner said Laura had told her that she was meeting a man in those woods. She was murdered and torn apart by that man. The question was how and what happened.

When Laura first appeared in her mind she only had the top part of her body and she was completely naked. So whoever killed her took her clothes and would most likely still have them.

The sound of chairs scraping and padding feet pulled her away as her back teeth hit the bone of her pinkie.

Getting to her feet she went to see what was going on and why Mr. Harrison wasn't yelling at them to settle down. She found a gap at the end of the wall and suddenly she saw what everyone else did. A man was being rolled into an ambulance on a stretcher and before they could put him in he jumped up like a loony toons character and screamed in the paramedic's face.

Her hand went to her mouth and her teeth clamped down on her fingertips as she recognized the man even from this far away, his features matching the man who gave her the cinnamon bun at the game on Friday. The man who had been nice enough to tape a coupon for his wife's bakery on the container. Her feet staggered and she heard a gasp as she ran straight into Erica. Her hands shot out, taking the girl's shoulders to steady her as she muttered a simple apology before returning to her seat, her hands cradling her head and her ice cold fingers digging into her scalp.

Shit.

It was fine she was just going to pop into lunch get the keys drive to Hale house and find Derke.

How did she know he was there?

She didn't.

What would she do if he wasn't there?

She wasn't sure go home and sleep maybe?

If she could just sleep and talk to Laura maybe she could explain more. There had to be more to her stories more to her life that she just wasn't letting Rory in on.She just had to find Lydia. Find her and get the keys. Ditch school and tell Natile that she was just freaked out. It was reasonable she found a dead bird in her locker that morning then she was interrogated by the police so she could get away with it. She just had to talk her way through it.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit