Diana had never been happier to be home. Having had the longest of showers she had finally crawled into bed about one in the morning feeling drained and tired. Stiles' voice saying G'night Di was the last thing she remembered before finally succumbing to the darkness.

When Diana finally awoke, she did so because of hunger. Fighting her way bleary eyes out of the cocoon that she had made for herself in her sleep she padded barefoot to the kitchen ready to eat anything.

"Good afternoon." Simon greeted her, he leant against the granite worktop and dark wood cabinets cradeling a mug.

Diana grunted in reply. Simon scoffed,

"You seemed to have quite the night, me and Heather thought it best to let you sleep in."

"Heather and I." Diana mumbled,

"Pardon?" Simon pressed mockingly with a smirk.

"It's Heather and I not me and Heather." Diana corrected with a yawn.

"Yeah you're fine." He looked to the open family room door, "Heather she's fine she's correcting my grammar."

Diana heard Heather laugh,

"When did you get back?" Diana asked pulling out a large bowl and reaching for the cereal.

"Early this morning, when the Sherriff called I thought it best to come home." Simon shrugged readjusting his glasses.

"Sorry to cut short your dinner." Diana said, her uncle was a slight man, if she was being poetic she'd say he was gracefully proportioned but she wasn't and at that moment with him leaning on the counter she thought he just looked skinny.

"Meh," Simon sipped at his mug, "Those kinds of things are ass kissing events anyway, you saved me from a night of bullshit and drinking too much."

"Still." Diana shrugged; she'd taken a seat at the large breakfast bar and was devouring her cereal.

Simon shook his head,

"You and Heather are my number one priority. Never forget that."

The doorbell sounded interrupting their heartfelt moment. Simon rolled his eyes but moved to answer the door.

"Don't all rush at once girls."

"Tell them to go away." Diana called just as Simon opened the door to the Sheriff.

"Noah. How are you?" Simon greeted. Diana froze, Shit she thought her spoon dripping with milk, agonising for a long moment.

Heather appeared at the door to the family room her gaze on Diana.

"I'm good Simon, I thought you said you were in LA, couldn't get away." Noah said good naturedly, Simon gave him a look, "Yeah I get it, priorities. It's why I thought I'd come by, see, we need a statement from Diana and I thought it would be nicer to do it here."

Diana shook her head at Heather, she was trapped, she couldn't get back to the stairs to her room without crossing the sight line from the front door and if Simon was going to invite them in he would lead the cop through the kitchen to get to either the great living room or the family room.

Heather knew Diana's only option was the library.

"Go." She hissed gesturing franticly to the large oak door. Diana darted off, made it two steps then hunger won and she dived back for her bowl carrying it with her carefully into the library.

So there Diana stood hidden among her families collection of knowledge waiting to hear what the Sheriff had to say.

"Come on in Noah." Simon invited his friend into their home,

"Thank you. Where is your niece?" He asked politely entering the kitchen.

"I think she's in her room." Simon shrugged, he gestured for the officer to take Diana's recently vacated seat.

"Is this about what happened to the Martin girl?" Heather queried coming to stand by her husband of ten years.

"You heard about that huh?" Noah said,

"Noah, come on, in a town this size, everyone's heard about it." Simon scoffed,

"Yeah, so, I really do need to talk to Diana. I have a suspicion that she and my son know more than they let on but Stiles won't talk to me. Has she said anything to either of you?"

"No." Simon replied instantly. Heather didn't say anything.

"Heather?" Noah pressed,

"Well, she hasn't been right since the night at the school. I think it's all bringing back memories of her parents." Heather said carefully.

Diana had heard enough and stepped back from the door. There was a hidden door at the back of the large room that lead to her Aunt and Uncle's bedroom upstairs she crossed to it and moved as quickly and quietly as she could to her bedroom.

"Heather." Simon counselled quietly. Heather shot her husband a look,

"He needs to know." Noah looked exceedingly confused.

"What do I need to know?"

"Diana saw it all. She was there when the break in happened, she saw the people that killed her parents, they wanted to kill her too but she ran away. Turned up the next morning at her friend's house six limes away, she'd been running all night." The sheriff was stunned,

"So she…" He realised, Simon looked stoic, like he was trying to desperately control himself.

"She had to identify the men they brought in, yes." Noah rubbed his face. This was getting to be too much for the man.

"Look, how about you give me a call when she's ready?" He said "I can't imagine what something like that does to a kid."

"Well Noah, it makes them shut up for a year and only talk to one girl. She's now lying in a hospital bed." Simon said tersely. Noah nodded standing to leave.

"I get now why you don't talk of it Si and I'm sorry." He said, Simon sighed letting the anger go,

"I know. She's all I have left of Thea and she looks more like her every day." Simon admitted putting his mug down. "You know what that's like."

"I do." The Sheriff confirmed, Simon hugged the other man then, not a tense overly masculine hug but a complete embracing of another person. One that was sorely needed in that moment.

Diana and her mother had been Lydia's rock the past weekend; Diana had arrived after giving her statement to the police with a duffle bag of clothes, shampoos conditioners and clothes. Lydia actually cried when Diana set the Fred Perry bag on the bed table and started to pull out the contents.

"You looked like you could use a few home comforts." Diana smiled,

"Di you are an angel sent from heaven." Lydia said sniffing the rose scented shampoo that Diana had just handed her.

Diana had just laughed and plugged in her phone to charge,

"Yeah well this angel is only allowed to be here because Heather is on shift."

Diana had been decided by the Coven to be in danger and that she was worth every effort extolled to keep her safe. This included, but was not limited to, not going anywhere on her own.

"You need help getting in the shower?" Lydia's dad asked her as she gingerly got out of the bed; Diana smirked pulling clothes for the girl out of the Lydia's bag.

"Maybe if I was four." Lydia said sarcastically, "And still taking bubble baths." She breezed past her father to the bathroom,

"Right, well, I'll just wait outside where it's a little less sarcastic." He mumbled exiting the room. Diana followed him deciding to give her best friend some privacy.

Stiles was still where she had left him, lying awkwardly on the waiting chairs with the 'get well soon' balloon tied round his wrist. Diana just shook her head at the boy.

"He been there all night?" Lydia's father asked, Melissa McCall laughed,

"He's been there all weekend." She informed the man, Diana had, had enough.

"Stiles." She hissed walking over to his side quickly. He spluttered sleepily his head lolling back,

"Mmm Diana, it's Lydia though." He mumbled, Diana looked a little discussed, but shook his shoulder.

"Stiles." She insisted, finally jerking him awake.

"Oh hey Diana." He said stupidly, taking in who was in front of him.

"Good evening Stiles." She said pointedly, "What are you still doing here?"

"Well, I'm waiting to see Lydia." He answered still half asleep. Diana rubbed her face,

"You've been here for days Stiles."

"And?" He prompted which earnt him an eye roll.

"And nothing, c'mon let's get something to eat." Diana suggested spying the vending machine a little way off.

Stiles shot to his feet,

"No, no, I'll get it; you stay here in case she needs anything."

"If she needs anything there are teams of qualified medical professionals to help her, because we are in hospital." Diana snapped frustrated.

"Yeah but…" Stiles looked a little taken aback by her attitude. Diana bethought herself and sighed, putting her hand on Stiles' chest.

"Look, I'm sorry, I will wait here." She said with a kind of forced calm, Stiles nodded and wandered off down the corridor.

Diana did wait there, she watched as Stiles wandered off in search of food for them then she sat in the seat he had vacated and pulled out her tarot cards from the back pocket of her jeans.

"Focus on Lydia." She murmured to herself pulling the first card from the pack. The High Priestess.

"Not bad." Diana mused, she withdrew the next card, the chariot. Diana rolled her eyes,

"I could have told you that." She hissed reaching once again to the pack. The wanderer. Diana's eyes shot to Lydia's door. All she could glean in that moment was that a great change was upon them.

Why do I get the feeling that the last few weeks have been an easy trial period for something greater? Diana asked Stiles through their bond.

No. No don't say that. Stiles groaned back petulantly.

Diana could still hear the water running behind the door, if only the hunters weren't in town, then Diana could cast properly and see what her friend was or at least try to undo the binding with Stiles. His devotion to Lydia though commendable was getting a little irritating, honestly Diana didn't know fully how she felt about the boy yet but she was sure that she wanted a real relationship in her life, not just to be looking in on someone else's, at the same time she adored her friend Lydia and if they were both happy then she could live with that, so long as she found something herself.

Nobody said being a teenager was easy, let alone being a teen Witch but they definitely didn't say that it would be this hard.

She replaced the cards into the deck shuffling them pensively. Then she heard it. The crash, she smiled to herself.

What did you do? She demanded teasingly.

Nothing. Stiles answered quickly. Definitely didn't tip the machine. Nope, not me.

Diana smiled again. This quickly faded, she could hear Lydia whimpering inside the room, concerned she got to her feet and entered the room.

"Lydia?" Diana called, the whimpering was now accompanied by splashing, "Lydia?!" Diana called crossing to the bathroom door. She tried the handle. Locked.

"Lydia let me in." Diana called through the wood.

A high scream answered her. Diana became frantic pushing on the door. Slamming her hands against the wood.

"Lydia!" Stiles called, Diana not noticing when him and two others entered the room. Eventually her frustration bared fruit as her magic seamed to pry the door open her hand on the handle pulling the entrance wide open to reveal, an empty bathroom.

She was gone.

Diana looked to the open window, then to Stiles. They both seemed to understand. Whatever she was, she was gone.

"Call your dad." Diana instructed a shocked Stiles who fumbled for his phone.

"What are you going to do?" He hissed back already dialling.

"I'm calling the coven. This has gone far enough." Diana said with a shake in her voice. "We need reinforcements and no offence but the police can't do anything here."

Stiles nodded understanding what she meant.

Diana watched chewing the side of her little finger nervously as the Sheriff spoke to Lydia's dad and Scott's mom.

"Any other descriptors?" He asked, Stiles suddenly appeared at his father's side,

"She's five foot three, green eyes and her hair is actually strawberry blonde." He insisted,

Diana rolled her eyes pushing his shoulder,

"Way to be creepy Stiles." She admonished. Diana looked to the Sherriff,

"She has a birthmark; it's on her left shoulder, shaped like a fish. She hates it."

The Sheriff looked to her then, his eyes softening.

"Thank you Diana." He didn't ask how she knew, just wrote it down. He grabbed the base of his sons neck pulling him away from the others.

Mr Martin looked to Diana,

"Did you hear anything before?" Diana shook her head. She really hadn't heard anything else she was too busy trying to get into the bathroom.

"I was here with Diana." Stiles said thinking quickly, Diana was becoming his excuse more and more these days.

"Uh- huh? Well then why don't you take Diana home?" The Sheriff directed, he turned back to the girl then.

"Diana, my son will take you home and stay with you until your Aunt gets home, I know they don't want you on your own."

Diana looked at Stiles' wide eyes and nodded rapidly, moving towards the boy quickly not looking at the downed machine that two men were working on restoring.

"Can you find her like you did Jackson?" Stiles hissed rounding the corner,

"I can try but you would have better luck with using Scott as a tracking dog, with the Argents in town there is a ban on major magic's like it would take to find Lydia."

"What do you mean major? You did it before with just a compass." Stiles pushed his hand over his head exasperated.

"This isn't an exact science Stiles!" Diana hissed back just as agitated, "I was tracking Jackson's car before, an in animate object, that was a simple seeking spell all I needed was the compass. Lydia Martin is a person, a person who isn't wearing anything."

Stiles rubbed his eye,

"Could you not just-" Diana waved to cut him off,

"Call Scott. I'll get something of hers from her room." Diana directed marching back off to the room previously occupied by her friend.

The hospital gown would have to do. It had her blood on it, Diana reasoned that it had more of her smell on it because of that than anything else.

By the time Diana had gotten the gown out of the hospital and to Stiles' car the boys were both already sat there, she knocked on Scott's door and he got out letting her in. Diana gave him the gown before attempting the climb because she wanted both hands free.

"This is the one she was just wearing?" Scott asked getting back in the car. Stiles nodded his jaw flexing.

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt her." Scott assured Stiles. "Not again." He looked to Diana too; the girl was beginning to show the stress she had been under lately. Her appearance a little less bright than it had been her eyes a little less alive.

"Alright just shove the thing in your face and let's find her." Stiles directed his friend. Scott did as directed.

Stiles turned the engine over suddenly illuminating Alison.

"Wow!" He exclaimed. The girls came over to Scott's side of the jeep looking into the door.

"What are you doing here? Someone's going to see us."

"I don't care, she is my best friend and we need to find her before they do." Alison said with conviction, Diana nodded moving over so that she was sat behind Stiles in the backseat.

"I can find her before the cops can." Scott insisted. Diana leant forward,

"What about before her father does?" Alison nodded, "I think she's trying to tell us we have a baby hunter on our side boys, I'd let her in." Diana finished, Alison smiled at the other girl, Diana didn't smile back but instead returned to her seat behind Stiles.

"I just saw him and three other guys leave my house in two SUV's." Alison told them, Diana threw her head back. Great change indeed.

"Search party." Scott told Stiles, Alison shook her head,

"More like a hunting party."

"Get in." Scott said once again letting a girl into the back of the jeep.

Stiles sped off down the road.

"Okay, if she's turning will they actually kill her?" Stiles asked. Alison leant forward between the seats,

"I don't know, they won't tell me anything." She said, Diana nodded, her coven still kept things from her, including some meetings.

"All they say is we'll talk after Kate's funeral when the others get here." Diana pulled Alison back to her seat,

"I'm sorry, Others? What others?" She demanded,

"How much do you know?" Alison asked carefully, Stiles made an exasperated sound.

"Alison the hunter's daughter meet Diana Preston the Witch. Now what others?!"

Alison looked revolted at the sight of Diana who just rolled her eyes. That was the reaction that she usually got from people when they found out she was a Witch.

"They won't tell me that either." She told Stiles, she never looked away from Diana who just crossed her arms.

"Well, say what you have to say Argent." She huffed,

"You. All this time? Is this why you don't like me?"

Diana flopped her head back,

"Yes, your family have hunted mine and those like me for centuries, we now actually have a ban on overt magic because of your family being in town." Diana said forcing the words out.

Alison looked guilty, her eyes seeking Stiles in the rear view mirror. The boy just shook his head not to press it so Alison didn't.

"Okay, your family's got some serious communication issues to work on. Scott, how we doing there buddy?" Stiles announced over the roar of the wind.

Scott sniffed the air from where he was hung out of the window like a dog,

"Take the next right."

The car peeled round to the right throwing Alison against Diana.

Alison tensed like she expected Diana to shove her off her violently, all she really did however was ease the other girl upright and gently away from her surprising Alison. The girl looked at the red head shocked.

"I'm not a monster you know." Diana told her quietly, Alison nodded slowly.

The Hale House? Really? Diana thought, cursing whatever deity thought it would be a fun idea to lump her in with Scott McCall and his supernatural mess. She had been a Witch for sixteen years for her life, a week away from seventeen and she could safely say that she was never more in danger of things going wrong than she was after bonding with Stiles.

Together the quartet approached the house slowly through the woods. Diana loudly kicking her way through the leaves at the back, a ball of fire in her hand to both warm her and light the way.

"She came here?" Stiles asked turning to the three behind him, "You're sure." Scott nodded,

"This is where the scent leads."

Stiles steeled himself continuing towards the burnt husk covered in police tape.

"Right well has Lydia ever been here?" He asked stopping again. Diana stepped around Scott and Alison stamping forwards, light held aloft.

"Not with me." Alison answered, they looked to Diana.

"Oh year we come here all the time, we pick tarot cards and plan the whole year round Mabon." Diana hissed.

"So no?" Stiles clarified, Diana didn't even answer just looked at him. Stiles nodded,

"No." He slapped his legs in a noncommittal gesture and followed the Witch closer to the house.

Sorry for snapping. I hate feeling so useless. Diana told Stiles a moment later.

Stiles looked like he wanted to say something but didn't.

Instead they looked around, Diana switched to the sight she had shown Stiles and glanced about herself hoping for even the slightest life sign.

Stiles spotted something on the forest floor,

"Whoa, hey, look at this." He said clearly, Diana switched back to her normal sight and hurried over to cast her light on it.

He was holding some kind of wire.

"You see this? I think it's a trip wire." Stiles said showing Alison and Diana. Diana reached over and lifted a part. Nothing happened.

"Stiles?" Scott called.

"Yeah buddy." Stiles answered all of them looking round to see Scott dangling from his foot.

"Next time you see a trip wire." Diana pulled an apologetic face, "Don't trip it."

"That was me, sorry." She admitted.

Alison smirked, they moved closer to get the boy down.

"Wait ,wait, wait, someone's coming." Scott said quietly, Diana froze immediately letting the fire she held in her left hand die.

"Hide." Scott told them, Diana swiftly moving to a large tree a way off, she trusted the wolfs senses, she had after all known the Hales.

It took a second but eventually Stiles joined her pulling Alison along with him. Diana put on her alternate vision and peaked round the trunk to watch the scene.

She could see three souls moving towards the struggling Were and watched with bated breath.

She saw one crouch by Scott and proceeded to talk to him, they were too far away to hear anything properly, they walked away and Diana felt herself un-tense.

When they walked away the three in hiding hurried back to their trapped comrade.

"You okay?" Alison asked, Scott smiled at her,

"Just another life threatening conversation with your dad." He said brightly. Diana smiled.

"Hang on I'll see if I can get you down." She offered.

"No need." He said extending his claws and quickly slicing the rope. Diana lightly applauded when he landed on his feet.

He grinned at the other three and moved towards the house again,

"Comin'?" He nodded his head to the house; Diana smiled at the boy and quickly followed after him once again summoning fire to hold in her left hand. Stiles and Alison took a little longer but followed just the same.

Diana was trying to not be despondent. Trying not to lose hope of finding Lydia but the night hadn't exactly been successful and tonight was supposed to be one of the coldest of the year.

Then there was the thing that robbed a grave last night. Her Uncle had been notified and so Diana had been notified by both Stiles and her Uncle. The later on why coming home on time is such an important deal now there was a potential ghoul about the town.

Diana had told her Uncle that he was being ridiculous and that a ghoul wouldn't come to California as it was too warm. He had just shrugged and left for the office.

Diana approached the school slowly, she was dreading seeing the empty seats and pitying looks. The pitying looks would be the worst, they always were.

She and Alison stuck together all day not surprisingly. Alison seemed to be extra careful around the other more powerful girl.

"Look, just ask what it is that's burning your mind so much would you? I have Chemistry in a few minutes and after three hours of your eyes in my head it's all I can take."

"You are really a Witch?" Alison said quietly. Diana nodded,

"Yes and before you ask human transfiguration is so impossibly hard that I really will never try to turn anyone into a frog. That and the fairy tale have it wrong." She said briskly, Alison smiled,

"So what can you do?" She leant in closer,

"Lot's of things, I can brew potions for clear skin and clean clothes with a spell. It's more than house hold stuff too but I'm not comfortable discussing that with a hunter. Even if you are just a baby hunter." Diana shrugged pulling her books out and moving over to the Chemistry classroom.

Alison nodded following,

"So you could find Lydia?"

"It's complicated, if she was wearing or holding something then yes I could easily find her, I would jst look for the thing she was holding or wearing bigger the better, but as she wasn't I would need to do a full locator spell requiring a map of the area, candles, herbs, chanting the full works."

"So, do that." Alison looked at her like she was dense. Diana rolled her eyes,

"Oh I would love to honey. But since your family moved in there has been a ban on overt magic. Such as locator spells. They literally transport you to the person. How do you think your dad would react if he suddenly saw me appear in the woods just by Lydia?" Diana raised her eyebrows.

"He would burn me Alison; he would tie me to a post and burn me alive." Diana said resolutely.

Diana turned and strode into the chemistry classroom then.

Isaac was already sat down at the wooden desk, his large body fully occupying the space. Diana beamed at him. Then she noticed his eye and pursed her lips. Pulling out her pen she hastily drew a symbol on her right palm.

"Good afternoon." She said brightly taking her seat next to him. He smiled at her leaning into her a little.

"Hey." Diana smirked conspiratorially,

"So, I heard it was you who saw the thing at the grave yard last night. Did you get a good look at it?" She said in her best gossip voice.

Isaac blushed, as Diana laid her hand on his the pain in his cheek fading as the symbol on her palm faded away.

"I didn't see it completely no, I was kinda in the grave." He shrugged. Diana smiled sympathetically,

"Never mind, so long as you are alright." She shrugged flipping open her folder to the last page.

"Yeah." Isaac said softly, doing the same. It didn't last long though as Harris announced that they would be having a pop quiz and to put their things away.

She could hear Stiles whispering to Scott at the back of the class. So could Mr Harris apparently.

"This is a Pop quiz Mr Stilinski, if I hear your voice again I may be tempted to give you detention for the rest of your high school career."

"Can you do that?" Stiles questioned stupidly. Diana placed her head in her hand with second hand embarrassment.

"There it is again." Mr Harris said happily, "Your voice triggering the only impulse I've ever had to strike a student repeatedly and violently." Diana looked up to meet Isaac's badly hidden smile, "I'll see you at three for detention."

Diana shook her head returning to her paper.

"You too Mr McCall?" Harris pressed,

"No Sir." He answered.

A minute or two past without further talking, then Jackson suddenly ran out of the class with a nosebleed.

Diana stayed with Isaac after class talking to the quiet boy, he had a nice smile and a soft way about him that made her think that he could never hurt her even if he really wanted to.

"I should go. I've got to write the English homework up some more." Isaac said rubbing the back of his neck after walking Diana to her locker and waiting with her to get her things for the next class.

Diana smiled kindly at the boy,

"Let me know if you want me to go over it again. Like I said the offer still stands." He blushed again and nodded awkwardly moving away from Diana.

She shut her locker and wandered in the direction of Alison's locker. As she approached she saw that some guy was talking to her. Diana looked him over from the distance she was then acting on impulse she reached into her satchel, into her small cloth bag of runes and pulled one out.

"Well shit." She considered the H looking symbol with disapproval. The Hagalaz rune was one of disruption and unavoidable unpleasantness overall not a pleasant symbol to draw when looking at a boy. However, it fit with the sense of unease she got from him.

"Hey Alison." Diana called to the girl snapping her gaze to Diana sending a slightly panicked look her way.

"Di –Diana." Alison beamed; Diana marched closer to the brunette coming to stand by her side.

Frustration crossed the boy's face. Diana plastered her best impression of Lydia on smiling brightly,

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" Diana prompted.

"I'm Matt." He said trying to be cool. Diana looked him up and down and smiled politely at him. This time Diana was certain that anger crossed his face.

"Her Aunt, the one who murdered all those people." Diana heard from further down the corridor,

"You certain?" Diana didn't know who they were, "I sit next to her in English." Diana shot them a powerful look causing them to scatter with a giggle.

"Not any more you don't." Diana grumbled not noticing Alison until she heard her locker door slam. She wanted to follow after the girl, the only girl at the high school who knew what she was but she saw Scott's arm reach out and grab her so she didn't follow, instead she just wandered off to the Library to start her free period.

You still in detention? Diana asked Stiles at five o'clock that afternoon.

No, though he kept me there until half four, said it was because of my dad. Stiles answered, I'm with Scott at the graveyard.

What? Why? Diana wondered picking up her laundry off the floor putting it into the basket on the mezzanine outside her door.

New hunters remember. Stiles answered. I'm just arriving now.

I'm coming, stay clear of your jeep window. A minute later saw Diana appearing out of Stiles' jeeps passenger window.

Stiles just grabbed her hand and pulled her over to where he could see Scott through the trees, the tree then huddled behind the gravestone.

Before Alison stood a white haired man. Her grandfather.

Diana gripped at Stiles' harder. She felt like she couldn't breathe.

"Who's that guy?" Stiles asked Scott.

"Her grandfather, Gerard." He answered. Diana really couldn't breathe. He was here. After all these years he was here. Hatred began to well up within her. It was as if she was back in the English house all over again.

She had to get out of there.

I'm going back to the jeep. She told Stiles before staggering off into the trees.

She managed to get to the blue car, climbing into the passenger seat she put her head between her knees and focused on the last memory she had with her mother.
They were baking together in the kitchen; apple and blackberry crumble for a dinner that night. They were listening to Fleetwood Mac and laughing. Her mother's long straight red hair, the same shade as her own pulled back from her face in a French braid. Diana remembered her smile, the warmth of her smell. And she was calm again.

Centred by the one woman out of all of her family that she could never see again.