𝗧𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 ── 𝘚.𝘚𝘛𝘐𝘓𝘐𝘕𝘚𝘒𝘐

♡ 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗜𝗫𝗧𝗬-𝗦𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡 ♡

♡ 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 ♡
𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 sixty-seven

one last time.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE."

Elijah Mikaelson's eyebrows rose as quickly as he did, his arm slithering around the chair to lean that much closer to his doppelganger's face.

"I know a few teenagers who have hair growing out of their cheeks every full moon. I'm not really keeping track of what's possible anymore." James paused for a moment while taking in his mirrored features on the man before him. "I don't care if you believe me or not, because you will.. eventually. You can meet her, you can meet all of them-"

James found himself rambling. Something he usually did whenever he was nervous. He was used to being around man-wolves and man-eaters, but the mere mention of age-old vampires made his mortality coil.

Klaus stepped forward with a worrisome glint in his eye. His shoulders rolled back into his spine and lips folded into a sly grin. "Who's gonna tell this sorry sack of meat that we don't grant wishes?" The glass of bourbon clicked against his teeth. "Out."

James wriggled in the ropes and felt the vampire's stare burn into his skin like scorching sunlight. "Look, just.. just hear me out." 

Thump. 

Klaus turned away, flicking his wrist to Rebekah who soured at the sight of it. Elijah, however, knitted both eyebrows and opened his mouth to speak. "Klaus, maybe we should-"

"He's a bore, brother." The Hybrid took another sip as James wiggled away from Rebekah's rough handling. "He either leaves now or later in a body bag."

Thump, thump.

James felt the world shake around him. They weren't listening. Why weren't they listening? His heartbeat echoed loudly in his ears and his skull began to feel far too stuffy for his brain.

He watched the brothers turn away from him and feel his presence become less significant by the second.  His words drowned out into the background while the heartbeat became louder. The voice in his head begging to be heard. 

Thump, thump, thump. 

"Don't you have a kid?" He watched them both stiffen. A shift in emotion flashed before Elijah's eyes. Perhaps it was a flicker of sympathy. Empathy. Envy, even. "Someone you'd do anything for?"

Elijah's jaw tightened. He didn't respond. Not in a way that mattered, anyway. 

Klaus, however, reacted much differently. He was never one to show a speck of remorse. However, there was hope in the words he spoke. "That's what I'm doing. I'm not here to earn your respect. Or flatter you with my insignificance. I'm here for my daughter."

Elijah paused. "Noble of you."

James huffed. "It's called being human." He clenched his jaw as they studied him momentarily. "If that gets me killed, so be it."

A long silence settled amongst them. It was piercing. It chilled James to the bone to not know what to expect next. Nothing but unfamiliar eyes glaring through his warm skin and brittle bone.  

"Can someone untie me, please?" He ignored their looks. It was a stupid idea. He was foolish for thinking the supernatural could save her when it was the very thing that ruined her. There was a taunting irony to it he hated.

 Upon noticing their continued silence, he snapped once more. "I have a Ph.D. Not fangs. You can untie me."

Klaus kept a curious look on Elijah - noticing his surprising empathy towards him. If it were him, they'd have killed James and be done with it already. "Out." The Hybrid spat. Figurately and literally. He had much better things to do than watch the human face of his brother wallow in self-pity. 

James clenched his jaw with such force that aches bounced off the bone. He rubbed his wrists as the wet liquid itched the bare skin beneath. He'd go home a failure - but he'd go home alive. That he was thankful for. 

And for the mental strength to think against punching Klaus Mikaelson in the face. 

He patted his bare pockets momentarily. Then clambered his gaze back up to the Hybrid in question as he still held his photographs and news articles in his hands. Elijah noticed this before gently snatching them from his brother's grip and taking a stance before his doppel. 

"Thanks." He reached for the photograph but quirked a brow when Elijah pulled it away from his hand. Instead, he folded it over and clipped it inside of his own suit pocket. 

"Oh, no need for that yet." Elijah ignored the burning stares of his siblings. "I'm going to help you, little me."

Ignoring the jest, James narrowed both eyes. As did Klaus, who spoke along with the lawyer in distaste. 

"Why?"

Elijah let the question linger a little. Perhaps he didn't know himself. Or perhaps he lived for the dramatics of it all. 

Although, when his eyes met Klaus', they lit up. "Don't you have a kid?" He mocked his doppelganger's words - dragging out each syllable to the Hybrid. "Someone you'd do anything for, Niklaus?"

Klaus scoffed humorlessly, swinging back the last lick of bourbon before spinning back into the doorway. "Your funeral, brother." He spoke out loudly in the hallway. "Just know, I won't be attending it."

⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰

Dallas watched as Theo grit his leather jacket against the gritty stones as he backed away. Enthusiasm licking up his stare but horror creeping into his bones.

"Look, I know you're upset-"

"Upset, me?" Her tongue ran against the enamel on her teeth as the fake laughs sprang from her lips. "I'm not upset."

Dallas didn't bother how the dust from the stones coated her knees or sprinkled underneath her nails as she knelt. She didn't even bother at how the image of him crawling away from her brought back memories she'd rather keep hidden. "I'm inspired."

He wiped his bottom lip. A long reign of silence dawned afterwards until the Raeken split a defiant smile.

"Did Void bring out that inspiration, or was it the other way around?"

The smirk widened across his cheeks as her face clouded with unease. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, no? So you didn't love that little dark part of Stiles?" He sat up and fixed his submissive posture into a much more defying one.

"You don't miss Void?"

Dallas felt a knife strike her gut. It was complicated. The entire Nogitsune fiasco was so.. complicated. She felt comfortable enough to admit he while spent his time playing in the shadow of someone she loved - he had his moments where it felt like deep down, he really did want to help her.

Until he hospitalized her father, of course.

"Void was just another guy in a long line of ones who tried to tell me who I was and how much I could benefit them." She practically spat the words at him. "And he was just another one I killed for it."

Theo flickered his eyes between hers. "And how do you know that was all Void?" he whispered. "I mean, Void had a few nasty tricks, I bet.. but how are you all so certain Stiles didn't already have that buried deep within him somewhere?"

A lump formed in her throat. One big enough to restrict breathing and keep the carbon dioxide squeezing at her lungs.

"He wouldn't."

"No?" He questioned, his tone becoming that much more threatening and mocking. "And what if he was? A sick, twisted part of him delibrately keeping his distance from you, not because having no humanity hurts him, but because he loves it?"

The squeezing on her lungs got tighter with each breath. Dizzy thoughts spun their webs around the crevices around her brain while she tried her best to blink away the excess.

"God, you're good at this." Dallas clenched her jaw and felt her head shake away the loose thoughts.

A pearly smile gleamed his own face. "Not the first time a girl's told me that."

Within seconds, nails sunk in his shoulder and tore through the leather - red staining into layers of both cloth and skin. "Not better than me, though."

Fangs poured out over her lower lip and eyes lit up like a crackling white flame. Nose scrunched up in a mean look that iced his spine and sprinkled paralyptic snow across his goosebumps. The lump that fell in her throat loosened up into a breath of fresh air and a gasp of venom. Theo felt sweat trikle down his forehead and each blink create a fuzzier, whiter glaze across his eyes.

"You were saying?" Her lips positioned close against his ear and eyes circling down the veins that stretched down his neck. She could hear the erractic heartbeat. Hear the worrisome thoughts that ran faster than she could catch. It wasn't until his lips parted and tongue whimper a word that never came, did she split a pleasant grin.

Her knees brushed against the raw foliage before settling into the ground. "You want to know the difference between you and Void?" Dallas whispered as her tone ricocheted against the heavy stones. 

Theo felt a sharp pain strike his chest and warmth soak his shirt.

"I killed him."

With words caught up in his throat and bones to stiff to move, all Theo could do was let his eyes wander down at his chest and widen at the scarlett glaze that seeped out.

Dallas had her nails resting just above his heart moments ago. Perhaps as a proclamation of love, understanding even. But as the claws sunk deeper and tore through shreds of skin and bone, his heavy heart sat firmly in her hands - quite literally.

A mix of acrylic and natural nail tinted red while the boy felt a terrible burning spread across his chest like wildfire.

The words struggled to leave his lips and teeth sucked in a sharp breath with each unsuccessful attempt.

"I don't mind changing that, Theo." she leaned forward until her acrylics ran scratches down the front of his chest and minted breath fanned his face. "Do you?"

Theo tried to remain control of his face but felt his head shake sideways anyways. "No?" She copied his threatening and mocking tone. "Good," she slapped his cheek lightly with her spare hand. "I'm glad we can agree on something."

His lips flexed as he managed to stifle a scowl. The Siren's hands squoze at his core as his heartbeat thumped against her fingertips.

"Because I won't just eat your heart, Theo." Dallas softened her eyebrows and pouted. "I'll make sure you feel every minute of it."

Slipping her fingernails against the bare bone and snazzed fabric, Dallas used her bloody hand to lift his chin upward and stained his jawline with it.

"Give it a think." Her sickly sweet tone soured into something that felt bitter on his tongue. "If you can."

She met his eyes once more, thunderstorms forming around her hair like a halo of lightning and cosmic energy. The flashes of boltic white highlighed the scales that peeked out from underneath her dewy skin and wet splotches sprinkled across her nose with freckles of brown and burnt red.

Wind cascaded through her hair and braided it with each gust. Lightning strikes plummeted to the ground and energetic waves pulled each strand up after the other - until it seemed her hair floated along with the thunderous clouds behind.

He blinked rapidly. Maybe his eyes deceived him. Maybe the ones staring into his caused that.

"Theo."

He clenched his jaw and eyes closed simultaneously. Her voice echoed in his ears and caused a ringing he didn't like, but one he felt obliged to follow.

"Theo."

His eyes fell open. As did his lips to gather a gasp of fresh air. Lips parted in a muster of babbles until he felt he could speak again. Arms swatted at his sides and fingers bended back and forth until they regained control.

The Chimera finally glanced back up at her. A mix of anger, fear and intrigue lacing that very gaze.

Her hair no longer wavered unnaturally behind her. Nor did eyes shine beneath like pearls. Still, the gut-wrenching pain still coiled his skin.

"Are we done here?"

Footprints echoed throughout the car park - accompanied by a door slam and heavy panting.

Accompanied by a scent Theo knew.

"I don't know," Theo stated confidently. Cockily even. "Are we, sweetheart?"

His fingers slid against the backend of her ear as he tucked away a loose strand.

Dallas scrunched up her face and opened her mouth to chew him out for talking to her like that. Only then did she watch the trail of the Raeken's eyes. Only then.. did she meet the deveastated ones of Stiles Stilinski who stood in the driveway.

Her eyes turned back to Theo who stared right back at Stiles with a condescending grin.

As quickly as she stared at him, she found herself staring just as quickly at his back while as he stormed  away.

⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰

James Garcia tapped against the steering wheel anxiously as he drove. Elijah sat beside him, shamelessly rooting through all the belongings that the lawyer had stashed around the temporary car.

"Cigarettes." The vampire spoke blandly. "You smoke?"

James kept his eyes on the road. "Only when I'm stressed."

Eli quirked a brow. From the thick aroma of nicotine that followed him around like a lost ghost, he had been quite stressed recently.

The Mikaelson didn't seem to have much time to prepare before he had the human's old jacket and cap thrown his way. "Here, put these on." he muttered. From the offended look on the original's face, he did not approve.

"Absolutely not, little me."

Jim ran a free hand through his hair. "Okay, can you- can you not call me that?" He hissed. "And people in my town recognise me. I'm a national treasure. They'll take notice if theres two of me."

Elijah gave him a blank look before snickering. "And you think an old cap and a dreadfully shaggy jacket will solve that?"

"Worked in your town, dracula." Jim gripped the steeringwheel as he felt the need for another cigarette. "Just.. promise me you won't freak her out, okay? She's.. jumpy recently."

Sorting through his personal photos, the vampire hummed. "When did you have this.. child?" Elijah questioned, unease tasting the words.

The Garcia flickered his gaze between the road and his doppel's eyes. "Who Dallas?" He hummed. "1994. July 26th. Why?"

Elijah sunk his seat. "No specific reason. Just a little odd to think about what I was doing when a mini me had.. well, a mini-mini me." He narrowed his eyes as he spoke. "Apologies for my brother, he doesn't do well with new people. Finds them quite disposable."

"Well, I can assure you I don't want any family dinner. I just want my daughter back, and I can guarantee, you'll never see me again."

The Mikaelson took a glance at the window as they drove away from his family home. "Every day in the mirror, actually."

His words fell into a dull silence as he caught the eye of Klaus Mikaleson stood in the doorway. Bourbon in hand and mischief in his mind. He had never tried to understand the inner workings of his brother's mind - nor did he want to.

But one thing he was certain of was that he did not trust that look.

"Everything okay?" James noticed his tenseness and swatted his eyes between him and his rearview mirror.

Klaus took a long sip of his bourbon and leant against the doorframe. He knew everything they had said, as there was no lengths the Hybrid wouldn't go to for a little old fashioned chaos.

"Yeah, just keep driving."

Jim felt something strike him in the gut. Something told him that he would soon regret this. Although, he pushed those thoughts away and did as instructed.

As for Klaus Mikaelson - he watched the car leave his driveway and disappear down the roads of greenery and foliage. Overhead trees and long gritty roads. He watched an opportunity present itself.

"Rebekah?" He called out while keeping his eyes locked on the tiremarks that scorched his driveway. "Go get my suitcase, will you?"

⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰

"Stiles-"

Her knees scraped up against the gravel as she practically clawed her way up from the floor. She didn't care about how Theo would get away. Or what he'd do after that.

"Stiles, wait!"

Her breath hitched in her throat as she managed to pull at his shoulder and watch the flannel gently fall from his shoulders.

Stiles stopped in his tracks, head falling between his shoulders and hands buried deep into the pockets of his jeans.

"I came back for you." he whispered. Hurt tinged his voice as it cracked silently. "I was worried about what he'd do. About you. So I turned around and I came back."

Ironically, Dallas now felt asif someone had a clutch on her own heart and squoze it with all their might. "Stiles, it's not what you think-"

"I suppose I didn't have to, right? Cause it seems like you're in great hands." He could barely speak over the cracks.

Dallas watched him turn away but grapped his hand with shakes tinging her movements. "Stiles, listen to me when I say absolutely nothing happened!"

He laughed humorlessly. "So, its pure coincidence that what, a couple of hours ago you wanted him instead of me?"

There came the piercing pains of each vein in her heart popping. "And I was a fucking idiot for saying that. An idiot for making you believe it was actually true."

He shook his head while taking pitiful steps backward. "Doesn't matter. You flipped your switch. You can go around breaking my heart cause it has no affect on yours."

Dallas felt tears prick her eyes. "Says you."

Stiles met her gaze. "What?"

"You flipped my switch, moron."

Her words were heavy with heartfelt. "You said mean stuff, which most of was probably true.. you read me like a book - which you know I absoloutely hate." The Siren paused. "And now you seriously believe, that after everything, I could even look at someone that wasn't you."

"You pulled me off Theo." He murmured, avoiding her eyes.

Dallas slumped her shoulders. "You think I pulled you away because I was worried about his face?" The Siren fiddled with her nails. "I pulled you away because that's not you. No matter how much Theo tries to convince people, you're not bad. You could never be."

Stiles felt his own gaze wander towards her, "I didn't mean what I said. Any of it." a soft mutter escaped her lips as she stared down at the ground. Dallas studied her shoelaces and how a dull dust of grey coated atop.

"Neither did I." His voice sparked goosebumps on her arms. His eyebrows were softened and so were his words. "You just drive me.. insane." his tongue ran over his teeth as he spoke. "In so many ways, and that's what I love about you."

Her eyes still remained struck on the ground. Although, she could hear from the way his lips mouthed the words that he was smiling. 

He took a step forward, but in the same moment, Dallas turned to the side and used a free hand to cover her face. "Dallie?"

She swallowed harshly. Wiping her cheeks with the edge of her sleeve and concentrating on keeping her breaths steady. "I don't want you to see me like this."

His shoulders lifted at the sound of her voice. "Like what?"

"Messy." She paused. "A messy, emotional wreck."

A miniscule smile formed on the tip of his lips. His eyebrows rose and a warm haze cascaded over his brown eyes as he stood behind her. "Shame." Stiles paused. "Cause I bet it'd be the prettiest mess I'd ever see."

Dallas shook her head in dismay with a sweet roll of her eyes. Then she shivered at the thought of someone seeing her so.. vulnerable. Vulnerability was never her strong point.

She wiped a stray tear with her sleeve. "You don't know that."

"It's you." Stiles' voice echoed throughout the empty parking lot. "Of course I do."

Hesitantly, Dallas slid her hands away from her face and turned towards the teenage boy. A chill crawled up her spine, whether it was from the butterflies or fear - she wasn't entirely sure.

Stiles blinked rapidly at the high contrast of streetlights and reflective steel, but with each blink, Dallas became less fuzzy and more slouched at the sight,

Her eyes were puffy - like she had been crying nonstop. Mascara smudged the lower lashes of her eyelidds and stained the skin underneath. Feeling insecure under his gaze, she wiped it away and muttered out a response.

"I'm just.. really sick at the moment." she forced a sniffle.

He bit back a smile. Sirens didn't get sick. She had told him that an abundance of times - especially when she failed his attempts at flirting by refusing his jacket in even the harshest of weather.

He pulled her in by the waist and slithered his arms around her torso before burying his head in the crook of her neck.

"I hope it's not contagious."

Dallas had started to laugh, but it had turned into more of a pained one than one of true joy. Her hands gripped his shoulders and throat struggling to whisp through the air she breathed.

She didn't want to let go of him - call her selfish, but with her world left crumbling around her by her own doing - Stiles Stilinski was the only pillar left standing.

"If you tell anybody I cried, I'll eat you." she murmured into his chest, soaking up the scent of his cologne and his warm body heat pressed against her skin.

She felt the vibrations of his deep laugh pulsate against her ear and met his gaze.
His touch remained warm as he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck.

"Can you stop threatening me and let me kiss you?"

Dallas pressed her lips together. "Can you take a raincheck?"

She stared up at the clouds, thunder and lightning swirling through the misty grey with ease.

Stiles stared up also, hand squeezing hers and lips forming into a frown. "Go find your dad, Stiles, I'll make sure Scott is okay."

He took a moment to rethink it. "Don't turn back this time." she warned. "I promise i'll still be here when you get back."

The Stilinski nodded along before wiping the smudged mascara underneath her eye. "I don't wanna leave you like this."

Dallas pulled his hand from her face gently and ran her fingertips across his knuckles. "I know, but i'll survive. I promise."

He took a step back, taking in the sight of a humanity-filled Dallas Garcia one last time.

"Stiles, go." she watched as he remained hesitant.

Shaking his head in dismay, the boy climbed back into the vehicle for the second time today - and this time, he wouldn't turn back.

Dallas watched him leave. And felt much colder once he did.

Her head turned to where Theo lay - and the empty spot that sat there instead and cursed lowly. "Aw, fuck." she ran her hands over her face and sighed. A part of her just had to hope Scott had survived the enraged Beta.

And wouldn't be mad at her for losing the one thing she left for.

☆ word count: 4,830. ☆

a/n: filler chapter bc life threw me a curveball and Im still tryna figure out how to work around it lmao. Also HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY DALLIE