Alison was moping again. Lydia had decided that they were all going to Macey's to get their outfits and had dragged Diana along despite her protestations that she was busy. Alison had told her that they were going to get Stiles to go to the dance with Lydia which Diana was actually happy about, she wanted Stiles to be happy and if that meant Lydia then she was happy too.
"Nothing's wrong." Alison began getting on the escalator behind Lydia and Diana, "I've a lot on my mind."
Diana nodded understandingly, she could get behind that. Heather had told Diana that morning the Swan family were coming to town in a few weeks. This meant only one thing to Diana, Logan. It was enough to put her mind in a spin, especially as her friends were hell bent on catching the Alpha who just so happened to be her godfather.
"You could smile at least." Lydia directed, "Ever hear the saying, never frown, someone could be falling in love with your smile."
"Yes, because you say that to me every time I frown." Diana joked, Alison scoffed,
"Smile Alison." Lydia ordered "I'm buying you a dress." She hit the other girl lightly with her jacket.
Alison shared a look with Diana who was smiling extra wide to make a point.
"I have to admit that as apologies go it's more than I expected." They reached the top to the escalator, "But not as much as I'm going to ask."
This was going to be interesting.
"What?" Lydia asked confused. "What's that supposed to mean?
"It means, you're going to cancel on whatever dumb roided up jock you said yes too and you're going to go with somebody else." Alison said carefully. Diana nodded in support of the hunter, amazed that she was able to pretend to like the girl as well as she did.
Lydia looked past the two taller girls in front of her,
"Who?"
Diana smiled, Lydia looked scared, she knew that smile on Diana, nothing good ever came out of that smile.
"Him." Diana pointed to the perfume counter. Stiles was sniffing different scents absently, Diana laughed quietly as he started to sneeze dramatically having accidentally sprayed his nose.
"Awww." Alison mocked good naturedly at Lydia's expression.
"But he's," She weakly protested, Diana shook her head,
"In love with you for a really painfully long time Lyds." She cut in with an eyebrow flick. "He's nice." She shrugged,
"If he's so nice you go with him." Lydia snapped. Diana rolled her eyes,
"He'll piss of Jackson." Diana deadpanned, that did the trick. Lydia squared her shoulders and tried to stand taller than her five foot three would allow. "Besides I have a date." Diana mumbled.
"Fine." She snapped. Alison smiled at the redhead,
"Don't frown Lydia, someone could be falling in love with your smile." She reminded mockingly. Diana barked out a laugh catching Stiles' attention. He tried to look casual leaning against the counter and waved.
Lydia decide that she would accept the decision made for her but not that she was going to like it, dumping dresses on him to carry before she tried them all on. Stiles looked desperately at Diana who just shook her head in response.
You wanted Lydia, you got Lydia Stiles. She told him, Stiles sent her a pleading look.
"Hey Alison, what about this one?" Diana suggested a white tule thing covered in sequins.
Alison laughed and shook her head.
"Oh come on? A big glittery bow for your hair, really tie together the whole third grade look." Diana pressed considering the dress.
"What about this one?" Alison proffered a neon pink bodycon number with a plunging neckline. Diana looked horrified,
"I'd rather kiss Donovan." She said miming being sick. Diana replaced the while tulle and gestured to the other railing a little way off. "I'm going to look over here."
"Okay." Alison said brightly, happy that the other girl had seemingly warmed up to her.
Diana had found the dress. It was a short dark blue cocktail dress with no tulle and minimal ruffles. It highlighted her freckled skin and auburn hair, perfect.
She took it over to where he had left Alison but stopped short.
"Hello Peter." Diana greeted coming to stand at Alison's side. "What brings you to the women's dress department? Got something to tell me?"
Peter smiled graciously.
"Diana." He stepped a little closer pressing a dress to Alison. "You look the spit of your mother."
He looked to Alison then his cold gaze lingering,
"Such a pity what happened." He said coolly. Diana narrowed her gaze,
"I think your goddaughters parents being brutally murdered is a little more than a pity, don't you Uncle Peter?" Diana spat. Alison looked shocked at the girl behind her.
"Attention shoppers will the owner of a blue Mazda please come to the front desk, your car is being towed." The PA system announced. Alison looked to Diana,
"My car's a blue Mazda." She exclaimed reaching into her bag and running off.
"Nice." Diana sassed. Peter smirked.
"Look, I get that you want Scott's attention but please stop." She said shaking her head; she moved to walk past her godfather to the changing rooms.
Peter caught her arm, his eyes flashing red.
"Wouldn't you want vengeance too?" He said imploring her to understand his plight. Diana shook her head and wrenched her arm from his grip.
"I have mine." She spat turning on her heel and marching in the direction of her friends.
Diana pulled up to the school in her black Audi but this time she was not alone.
"You ready?" Isaac asked with a grin, he looked really handsome in his suit and tie, even if they didn't quite fit.
"As I'll ever be." She nodded getting out of the car, her silver heels and calculated jewellery all adding to the overall look, she had even curled her normally straight hair.
The dance was like every other high school dance, streamers hanging from the ceiling, disco lights flashing and annoyed teachers stood around the hall.
Diana and Isaac danced for a little but it got a little awkward so they sat at the same table as Lydia and Stiles.
"I have to go home now. My dad's outside." Isaac told Diana discreetly leaning close so that she could hear him over the music. Diana nodded understandingly,
"Okay."
"I just don't want you to think that I'm ditching you that's all." Isaac said trying to explain. Diana put her hand on his arm and smiled,
"I know its ok."
Isaac beamed at his chemistry partner,
"You look really beautiful tonight Di." He said blushing. Without letting her say anything back he made a swift exit out of the gym leaving Diana with Stiles and an apathetic Lydia.
How do I get her to dance with me? Stiles asked Diana desperate for any scrap of help she would give, Diana smiled.
Be forceful. Tell her what to do, leave no room for argument.
And if that fails?
Tell her how you feel.
Diana gave Stiles a pointed look moving to go and stand with a couple of her other friends who also had no dates.
It worked! Diana looked up to see Stiles happily strutting onto the dancefloor being led by Lydia. He was like the cat that got the cream.
"MACCALL! I SEE YOU!" Coach bellowed over the music, Diana had to stifle a laugh watching the teacher try to push through the crowd of moving bodies to catch her friend, who was doing his best to not be caught. She couldn't help it and sniggered into her blue plastic cup.
"Come here buddy!" He called again. Diana's stomach began to ache from silent laughter, her friends around her also hiding giggles at the scene.
Eventually Coach was foiled by Scott dragging Danny to the floor with him insinuating homophobia.
"Nicely done Scott." Diana whispered knowing that he could hear her. Confirmed by his meeting her eyes and smiling.
Diana sat on the bleachers talking to another girl when she heard him.
It's always Jackson.
Diana searched the gym for Stiles then seeing him walk out after Lydia.
I'm sorry. She said back. She could feel the disappointment through their bond.
It's not your fault. Stiles replied.
[To Lydia, From Diana]
[Everything okay chick?]
Diana didn't get a reply. So she waited, and after ten minutes when she still had no reply she made her excuses from the now small crowd of disappointed girls and marched off, calling Lydia's phone.
Jackson's not with Lydia. Stiles said when Diana reached the door to the fields.
Check the bathrooms, I'll check outside. She replied.
Suddenly the floodlights turned on, one by one, illuminating the red haired girl in the middle of the field.
"Jackson!" Lydia called,
"Lydia!" Diana screamed pitching forward into a run, her silver heels slowing her down.
In desperation she kicked them off and sprinted barefoot towards the girl. Peter was with her. This could not end well.
She's in the field, Peter's here. She shouted to Stiles through the bond feeling only dread in return.
It did not end well.
Diana felt like she was running in slow motion as she saw the beast Peter became and the attack on her best friend.
Stiles must have been closer than she thought because he came pelting out the doors after her,
"LYDIA! DIANA!" he bellowed.
Diana reached Lydia's bruised body with tears pouring from her face.
"You bastard!" She screamed at Peter, "You'll pay for this."
Peter crouched over her like an animal would over its prey and growled in response.
"Enough of your hollow threats little Witch." He mocked.
Stiles skidded to a stop next to Diana his face alight with worry,
"Don't kill her." Stiles said shakily, "Please." He begged.
Peter considered this for a moment looking back to the body of the girl below him,
"Of course not." He said in a buttery tone, "Just tell me how to find Derek."
"What?" Stiles spluttered, Peter ran a claw along Lydia's cheek gently smoothing a little hair away.
"I don't know that! How would I know that?" Stiles exclaimed fear coursing through his body. Diana tried to look Lydia over from where she was knelt on the grass but she couldn't see much through the tears.
Peter growled,
"The Witch is useless like this, and you will tell me, because you're the clever one aren't you?" He leant closer to the shaking boy, "And because deception has a particularly acrid scent Stiles. Tell me the truth."
Stiles looked to Diana then, she was his other half, and he needed her and Lydia to be okay.
Diana blinked away the tears, pushing emotion aside ready to protect him if she needed to.
"Or I will rip her apart, then the Witch too." Peter said softly, his words conveying the power and conviction behind them.
"Look I don't know okay? I swear to god I've no idea." He babbled,
"TELL ME!" Peter roared the force of the wolf being called forward. Stiles curled into himself in fear, his hands shaking.
"Okay okay okay look." Stiles flustered, "I think he knew." Stiles caught Diana's eye.
"Who?" Peter pressed,
"Derek, I think he knew he was going to be taken." Stiles said desperately, "He and Scott, when they were shot, he took-"
"Scott's phone." Diana gasped, remembering Alison tell them in the store that he had lost his phone and couldn't contact her, that it was driving her nutts. Stiles nodded.
"They have GPS now; you can track the phone to where he is." Stiles said quickly.
Peter smiled creepily and stood up.
"You're coming with me." He announced.
"No, I'm not just letting you leave her here." Stiles insisted.
"Stiles, I'll call for help it's ok." Diana said softly now able to look over Lydia's injuries better. She couldn't see any major bleeding so she was a little less worried. She did see a bite however which did worry her.
"I'm not leaving you here either." Stiles insisted to Diana.
"You don't have a choice Stiles you're coming with me." Peter told him.
Peter stepped forward and lifted the kneeling boy by his chin.
"Call your friend, Jackson? Get him to get the girls." He looked back to Diana then, "Even if I do doubt he could do more than my Goddaughter."
Diana glared at him,
"Oh don't worry; I'll take good care of your boy." Peter mocked, "Bring him back with little damage."
Peter watched Stiles fumble for his phone dialling Jackson. Then the second that Stiles had told the boy where they were Peter grabbed his arm and pulled him away abandoning the two teenage girls.
Diana watched him go with a mix of anger and sadness. They couldn't let anyone know about the bond, about how easy it would be to manipulate her and kill her through him. Her hands were very effectively tied and there was nothing that she could do.
