♡ 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 ♡
𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 thirty-five.
fish out of water.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
DALLAS WATCHED AS STILES' EYES GREW TEARY AS HE GLANCED UP AT THEM.
She took a step back and reached for Lydia's hand, however, it grasped mere air. "Lydia?" she whipped her head around but saw nothing but the absence of both the Banshee and the Nogitsune, accompanied by the swinging open door.
Scott took notice of it too, sharing a look with the Siren before stepping out into the misty, cold air. Dallas felt her heart sink as she saw the absence of her car, and more importantly, the absence of one of her best friends. She was unaware of what he'd want with the Martin, but she knew it wouldn't contain anything good.
⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰
Dallas sat beside Kira Yukimura, she kept her eyes on the road ahead while the Kitsune studied the town map. She shared a few glances at the Garcia who tightened her grip on the steering wheel. She noticed how she had started to shake a little, but tried to contain it with heavy breaths and sighs.
"Are you okay?" the brunette finally spoke up. Dallas gave her a side glance before swallowing hard.
"I'm fine." she mumbled. "Let's just keep looking for Lydia, yeah?" Dallas blew the hair out of her face and tried to loosen her posture.
"Why didn't you stay with Stiles?"
The question caught her off-guard. From what the Siren knew about Kira, she was usually reserved and quite meek, never bothering to say things straight out. Not until now. Stiles Stilinski was kept at the McCall residence. Once they determined that it was actually him, they had all decided rest was the best option for him. "I wouldn't be of any use there." she paused and chose her words carefully. "Lydia was there for me. I've gotta be there for her."
"That makes sense." Kira nodded along. "I thought you were avoiding him." The kitsune noticed Dallie's pursed lips and furrowed eyebrows before explaining. "I mean, not that you would, it's just.. I understand. I heard about how the bomb hit your dad. It must be very personal for you."
Dallas slouched in her seat and lazily swirled at the driving wheel. She never anticipated being so transparent in recent years. "So, maybe I am avoiding him." she finally admitted. "If Void knew that I hurt someone, then so would Stiles." she tightened her grip on the leather wheel of her dad's car. "How would I even begin to explain that to him? That I've been lying for weeks."
"Maybe you don't need to." Kira tilted her head to the side. "Surely he'd understand. After all, he did a lot of bad things while he was possessed. Doing something bad doesn't necessarily mean you're a bad person."
The Garcia appreciated how much Kira tried to comfort her. Especially since the two didn't really know each other that well. "I'm starting to see how you charmed Scott." Dallie pushed the conversation towards her and allowed a small smile to tug at her lips. "I sincerely doubt it, but thanks anyway."
Kira wracked her brain and tried to string another length of sentences together but Dallas' widened eyes and loud voice caught off-guard. "Danny just texted me. Meredith's at the school."
"You think that's something to do with Lydia?"
Dallas connected her eyes to the Kitsune's and swerved the steering wheel in the opposite direction. "There's only one way to find out."
⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰
Stiles jumped up from Scott's sofa and let out multiple staggered breaths. The room swayed under his feet as he pulled himself to a stance. He only managed to steady himself once the McCall ran over and placed both his hands on the sides of his arms. "Hey!" he called out to the Stilinski who seemed to fade back into reality. "You okay?"
Stiles' eyes flickered around the room before they lay on the lycan. "What happened? How long was I out?"
"Just a couple of hours. You should sit down."
The recently-possessed boy shook his head in adamant dismay before panicking some more. "Where's my dad?"
Scott furrowed his eyebrows but answered regardless. "He's at Eichen House questioning everyone. Looking for Meredith." the werewolf responded. "I promised him I wouldn't let you out of my sight."
"Okay, what about the others?"
"Allison, Isaac, The twins, Dallas and Kira." he listed. "They're all out looking for Lydia."
Stiles nodded along and stumbled backwards until he sat down on the couch. "How's her dad?" he asked the dreaded question that haunted him for so long.
Scott grew hesitant. Stiles was already in a very vulnerable state. Speaking of the things he did when he wasn't himself would only add salt into the wound. "I didn't-" he cleared his throat and stared at his pale hands. "I didn't kill him, did I? Scott, tell me I didn't kill him."
"No." the Alpha finally responded. "He survived. My mom told me they have him some hospital upstate. Dallas won't talk to me about it though. Granted, she won't really talk about anything. You know how she is." he attempted to lift his best friend's spirits but it fell flat.
"She hates me, doesn't she?" Stiles mumbled. He had hoped that she had stayed, that he would be able to talk to her. To hold her again and tell her he was sorry - but she disappeared out the door beside Kira Yukimura with her head to the floor and her back to him.
Scott took a seat beside his best friend and took a deep breath. "We talk a lot more now. She stopped scolding me and actually started talking. Like I had to explain to her the other day that she couldn't sue the supernatural." he nudged Stiles who let out a small chuckle. "But every time we do, the conversation always ends on you. Whether its a new plan, a new theory she has on the Nogitsune, or even some embarrassing memory she brought up to make us both feel a little better. It's always about you."
Stiles tore his eyes away from Scott and lay his chin on his clenched fist. "Thanks, man." he mumbled out. He hoped he was right. He just wanted everything to be over already.
⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰
Dallas and Kira hurried down the halls of Beacon Hills High, Danny was waiting in the halls and cocked a brow at their impatience. "Where is she?" the Garcia mumbled to him while he slung his backpack over his shoulder.
"Coach's office," he replied instantly but furrowed his eyebrows together as she nodded along and brushed past him. "Why, what's going on?"
She spun her head around as she followed Kira down the hall. "I love you and you're a genius, Dan." she yelled out to him. "But I can't explain right now!"
And with that, the two girls disappeared from his sight. Dallas didn't particularly enjoy lying to Danny, but she would rather carry that weight than the worry of him being caught up in the world of the supernatural. The worst thing he had to worry about now was social rejection or shallow popularity - and that's how Dallas preferred it.
She tugged at Kira's sleeve as she watched the Eichen House doctors enter through the doubled doors and chewed on her bottom lip. There wasn't much they could do to stop them from taking her, but they still had to try. Kira sighed heavily and approached Finstock who slid out of office doors and furrowed his eyebrows at her. "Coach, you can't let them take her back. It's hard to explain, but if you let her go back then really, really bad things are going to happen to Lydia, to Scott and Stiles and maybe even everyone. Even you."
"Who are you?"
Kira stumbled over her sentences. "I'm new."
Dallas let out an exasperated breath and rolled her eyes. She dug through her pocket through her phone before bitterly typing the phone number of Scott McCall into her dial-pad and bringing it to her ear. She waited for a few moments as Coach threw a few snarky comments at the doctors. Scott's voicemail entered her ear which caused her to groan outwardly. "Real useful, Scott." she hissed before shoving it back into her pocket. She glanced up at Coach who had just finished the last of his sentence.
"She's fine. She's just sitting in my office." he pushed against his door. However, the seat Meredith once sat one was completely empty.
The somewhat humans of the group didn't hear the doors open at the end of the hall - but Dallas did. She swung her head around to meet eyes with none other than Stiles Stilinski, the one boy she had been avoiding. Her breath hitched in her throat as his eyebrows knitted softly and a frown rested on his lips. Scott McCall stood beside him and glanced around for Meredith.
Dallas tore her eyes away from her boyfriend and instead grabbed the hand of the Yukimura. "Kira, come on." she mumbled to her, earning a deflated look in return. As they both stepped away from Coach Finstock, Dallas felt the girl's eyes linger on her face.
She then noticed how they were treading down the hall - towards Scott and Stiles. The Siren knew she'd have to talk to him at some point but it wasn't something she was particularly ecstatic about. Once she reached the two, she avoided the look of the Stilinski and instead focused on Scott. "She must've bailed while Coach was distracted."
Kira frowned and glanced around the packed hallway. "She could be anywhere."
"Not anywhere." Scott paused and turned his head to the side. He seemed lost in thought, almost as if he was listening in on something. "Do you hear that?" The McCall mumbled to the siren who furrowed her eyebrows.
Abruptly, the more she focused, the more she could hear the frantic whispering and soft piano keys originate from a nearby classroom. "The music room." Scott barely managed to quip out before they all scrambled down the hall.
The closer they became, the quartet could begin to hear the buzzing of a taser and Coach Finstock's scrutinising voice. "This school has a very strict no-bullying policy." Bobby seethed, pulling the taser from the Doctor's hand and positioning it against his neck.
He collapsed to the floor and flushed his hand against his neck before hissing in pain. Once the teenagers had arrived, their teacher stood above the man with a proud-look on his face and the hot taser in hand. He shared a look with them before ushering his hand forward. "Well?" he gave them exasperated looks and glanced to how Meredith stood meekly in front of the piano. "Get her out of here!"
Dallas nodded along and grabbed the girl's arm softly while the Alpha mirrored her actions. Once they left the highschool, they found themselves scrambling to the Stilinski's jeep. Dallas helped the inmate clamber into the back of her boyfriend's jeep before Stiles turned to the girl. "So, where's Lydia?"
As all eyes lay on her, Meredith croaked out a response.
"Who's Lydia?"
Dallas let out a defeated sigh which was quickly covered by Kira's words. "I'll call you later," She watched the Kitsune mumble through the window before scurrying away. She frowned as it was only just her, Meredith, Scott and most importantly, Stiles left. Noticing the tensed look on Meredith's face, the Siren frowned once more before taking a seat in the back of the vehicle.
"We've gotta get her out of here." Dallas turned to the boys while shrugging the jacket from her shoulders.
"My house." Scott glanced between the two while Dallas lay her jacket over Meredith's arms. "It's the last place they'd check, right?"
To be fair, she couldn't argue with his logic and lay back on the seats as the car drifted into motion. So much so, that she didn't notice the psychic turn to her.
"You smell like death."
She connected eyes with Stiles through the rear-view mirror who had a comedic smirk resting on his lips before she tore them away to turn to the girl beside her.
"You get used to it."
⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰
James Garcia squinted his eyes at the bland ceiling above him. They slowly peeled open and revealed more qualities of the unfamiliar room he lay in. That's right. Lay. The Lawyer noticed how he was bunched up against a hospital bed before all the memories came flooding back.
He noticed how his hands were bound by his side and how every bone in his body seemed to ache heavily. James tried to take a deep breath but winced once a sharp pain bled out from his abdomen and raced up his chest. The human found it increasingly difficult to move - to breathe even. Yet, that didn't stop him from taking notice of the colourful "Get Well Soon!" card that stood beside his bed.
The Lawyer's eyes bore into the colour before he unknowingly snatched it from the table. The cardboard was rough underneath his fingers. He ignored beeping of the detector next to him and pushed the card open with his fingers.
Dad.
A smile spread across his face as he read out the card from his daughter. She had written such sweet words in such sweet handwriting. It tugged at his heartstrings, much like his injuries did as he sat up. He winced yet again and let his eyes drop to the bottom. Not only was it signed by his daughter, but Derek too.
He tried to refrain from laughing too much as the thought of Dallas coaxing her godfather into signing a neon pink card entered his head. Yet, his thoughts settled as he focused a lot more on his bleak situation. James hoped his daughter was okay - and if Derek was really taking care of her as he promised.
James didn't pay much attention to the cluster of cards that sat on the desk and instead furrowed his eyebrows at the bleak letter that lay by his bed.
His fingers trembled slightly as he picked up the paper. Spread across the envelope was a smudged 'James.'
One finger traced the packaging while the other tore at the paper. He wasn't really sure what he was supposed to be expecting, but it certainly wasn't an almost-empty eerie letter.
James.
It read,
Sending you my love. Recover soon.
If Dallas were here, he knew she'd argue about the waste of paper or the slightly sloppy handwriting but he didn't seem to care about either of those things. He instead became infatuated with the fact that it wasn't signed. It remained completely anonymous.
He wondered if it could be from Stiles. After all, he bet highly that the boy felt very guilty about the bomb. However, the pieces didn't seem to fit his puzzle. He was out of town - miles away, in fact. Coming by the Hospital to drop by a letter was entirely possible for Dallas, Derek and his co-workers, but for Stiles?
The same Stiles who was to-his-knowledge still possessed by the Nogitsune? Not so much.
Who the hell had sent it?
⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰
Dallas didn't expect to see Scott's dad stood questioningly in front of them as they scurried through his door. To be fair, she didn't expect her boyfriend to become possessed either. Or for whatever had possessed him to casually flirt with her.
Naturally, she just ended up expecting the worse instead nowadays.
The youngest McCall was the first to speak. "What are you doing here?"
The Siren narrowed her eyes at how none other than Isaac Lahey. He noticed her puzzled look and lifted his hand to give a sarcastic wave.
"I could ask you the same thing." his father shoved his hands into his suit pockets and flickered his eyes between the teenagers. Especially at Meredith.
Scott had the gift of making up a lie on the spot. Too bad they were never actually any good. "Free period." he stuttered out. "We're doing group study."
Rafael squinted his eyes and nodded towards the girl who stood in the middle of the quartet. "Who's she?"
Dallas felt the lie roll easily from her tongue as she glanced to the girl who wore her coat. "My cousin."
Everybody in the room turned to her as she leant against the doorway. Surprisingly, she worked well under this type of pressure. Dallas Kimberly seemed to like, no, adore being interrogated. Toying with the mind with her words was something that came easily to her. "Jenny." she spoke once more.
"Yeah, from round the -uh, the block." Stiles tried to aid her but as the words left his mouth, they crashed and burned.
Rafael McCall narrowed his eyes at the brunette before earning a cold stare back. "Really?" he hummed and crossed his arms at her. "Your Mom or Dad's side?"
"I couldn't tell you-" she began but was cut off by Scott's father.
"That's convenient."
"- Cause she's my second-cousin. Removed twice." Dallas tilted her head to the side. "She's visiting from Alaska while my dad's out of town. A Pisces. Favourite colour is cadet blue." she had a hint of annoyance to her tone but even then, no stutter left her mouth. "Anything else?"
He remained silent. Something that made her smug look grow.
"We should study." Stiles blurted out. The tension in the room had grown so thick that the Stilinski was positive you could cut through it with a blunt knife. "Yeah.. study study." he mumbled as he pulled his girlfriend by the arm and ushered both her and Meredith upstairs.
Meredith paused for a second and turned to Isaac. "Uh, can he come?"
Dallas and Stiles shared a look. One that seemed more lighthearted than all others. Mostly because they were both avoiding talking about anything else. "Hey Lahey!" the brunette called out from behind the bannister which caused the remaining three to glance at them. "I need your notes."
He seemed a little too pleased to exit the awkward scene between the two McCalls and scrambled up the stairs with his friends.
Scott watched them clamber up to his room and turned back to his father. "Hey, Dad, I'll explain all of this later."
Rafael frowned down at his son and sighed. "I don't care that you're not in school. I know your grades are fine. All I want to do is talk."
"- Now's not really a good time-"
"Scott. We need to talk."
⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰
Stiles and Isaac stood interrogatively before Meredith as she sat on the edge of Scott's bed. The Werewolf had his arms crossed close to his chest and the human chewed anxiously on his thumb while they both stared her down. "Lydia Martin. Bit of know-it-all?" Isaac listed but none of it seemed to click.
The Maneater, however, sat on Scott's desk chair and creased her eyebrows at them. Visibly unimpressed. "You're overwhelming her," she mumbled out.
"Well, she wouldn't last five minutes in an interrogation room." The werewolf took a step back and spoke rather cockily.
"Isaac, I doubt you could last more than five minutes in general," she huffed out before jumping up and treading towards the girl. Stiles tried to cover up his fits of laughs with a cough as he avoided the glare that was given to him by Isaac. The last thing Meredith needed was for people to be up in her face about things that already troubled her. "Meredith," Dallas cooed gently as she took a seat beside her. "You know Lydia. Remember?" she gently tugged at her arm and tapped on her wrist. "You left a bruise right here. A symbol."
Like the last chip of a puzzle, all the pieces seemed to fall into place.
"Lydia?" she mumbled before nodding along. "Oh, the girl with the red hair?"
"Yes!" Stiles spoke out before adjusting his stance. "Now all you've gotta do is tell us where she is."
The Psychic didn't move a muscle for a moment. "Okay." she nodded. "If she tells me."
Dallas furrowed her eyebrows and glanced between the boys. "If she tells you?" The Siren questioned.
Stiles butted in and tore his eyes away from his girlfriend. "Well, ask her."
Meredith beamed at this. "I already did."
"So, what did she say?" Dallas lay her hand on her back and leaned towards her. She didn't want to overwhelm her much more than they already had.
The inmate turned her head to connect eyes with the Garcia. "She doesn't want to be found."
☆ word count: 3,438. ☆
a/n: a bit of a filler chapter cause I'm procrastinating writing the *thing* if yk what i mean.