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"That's right," said Chris, "now say it again. Aspen! Say it again—"

"How are you doing this?"

Aspen's sudden change came out as a broken whisper, her tears eyes looking into Chris' blue ones which looked like they'd failed to shed a tear yet.

"It's what we do..." Chris replied, more like he was trying to convince himself of the fact rather than Aspen, "we learn to... compartmentalise our grief— it's what we do..."

Aspen heard nothing but denial and excuses from Chris' lips. His own daughter had just died and he wasn't shedding a tear— he was bottling it all up for everyone else's sake— but he didn't have to do that.

"Chris..." Aspen whispered, "this is different... this is— was Allison."





Snapping out of the memory she played back in her head, Aspen's eyes shot up off the ground to look at the deputy in the chair in front of her, waiting for her to answer the question.

"I'm sorry," Aspen said to Deputy Parrish, "It just— it all happened so fast..."


***


Everyone felt like Aspen and Stiles were on a ticking timer—especially themselves. Their bodies were cold to the touch and the dull ache all over soon turned into a not-so-dull one.

Scott, Lydia Ace and Deaton were trying to figure out a way to trap Stiles' nogitsune—but trying to find a way to save Aspen was proving harder. Ace was heavily injured—but still refused to let it bring him down. The slash he had taken to the stomach from the Oni's blade was weakening him—and maybe soon, it might kill him. Or maybe—there'd be a way to fix it all. The odds of his survival was truly a fifty-fifty.

Meanwhile, Aspen had followed Chris back to his apartment. She knew he was bottling up all of his grief and he probably planned on letting the bottle shatter when he was all alone—but she wanted to make sure that he wasn't. No father should be alone while grieving a daughter like Allison Argent.

"I appreciate the concern, Aspen—really, but I'll be fine." Chris tried to brush her off as they stepped foot into the apartment, "I've dealt with this before—I have a capacity.. and ability—to compartmentalise my emotions..."

Aspen stood by the doorframe, looking solemnly at Chris as he held his head down. Seeing him like this took away a part of the numbness she was feeling—replacing it with unmeasurable grief.

"I don't..."

Lifting his head up, Chris' bright blue eyes locked a gaze with the girl who was like a sister to his own daughter. He once mentioned to Derek that he felt like he was supposed to see Aspen as a second daughter because of that—and right now, he did.

A gentle sob escaping Aspen's lips, she walked up to the Argent man and threw her delicate arms around his tall frame. Aspen and Chris' relationship hadn't been the smoothest of roads. But now, as they both united in a shared grief—the two people in this world who were the closest to Allison—they let go of any remains of the bad blood between them.

Aspen closed her eyes in defeat as she felt Chris finally let go. He let out the tears and cries he'd been holding back this whole time, as he returned the hugging embrace to her. As she heard his grieiving sobs, she tried her best not to feel responsible. She tried to remember how Scott told her she didn't choose this life—that none of it was her fault.

Bend The Rules , Stiles Stilinski ² ✓ Where stories live. Discover now