✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 2.01 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
'as much as I'm sure you and a lot of other guys in this building would love for me to take my clothes off... I'm not into voyeurism.'
✧༺♥༻✧
Standing in the bathroom of her hospital room, Lottie stared numbly at her reflection. She was fine. She was fine. She was-
So she wasn't fine. The after effects of her ordeal started to kick in as Stiles and Scott went to check on Lydia and she was left alone with her thoughts. The doctor had come in and offered her a shower before she left and as she entered the bathroom all air left her lungs. She couldn't get in the water. She couldn't even turn on the tap.
"Come on. You're being stupid. You didn't die. Turn on the fucking faucet." She muttered to herself as she reached over, only to freeze mid air as flashbacks hit her hard. Cold icy water choking her, weeds wrapped around her neck cutting off the little air supply that wasn't tainted with water. She should be dead. How wasn't she dead?
The bite. The bite that neither Scott nor Stiles mentioned. Feeling her breath become short at the memory of the weeds around her neck she began clawing at it, feeling the bandage covering her wound. Ripping and unravelling it, she made her way back to the mirror to assess the damage.
There in all its glory was the bite. It was healing. It was much more faded than she'd expected but it was still there and leaking a green pus-like substance with blue weed-like vines crawling under the skin. Cringing away as she poked it, she re-wrapped her neck loosely. She'd deal with that and the boys another time.
Taking a deep breath she grabbed her hair-tie and threw her hair up into a bun, changing into the spare clothes Scott had brought for her, and made her way back to her hospital room. There she found Stiles sitting with a bunch of 'Get Well Soon' balloons and a huge smile on his face.
"For you." He beamed in her direction, walking over and shoving the balloons clumsily in her face.
"Thank you? But I am better. I'm fine." She lied as she took the balloons off of him with a chuckle. "Are you okay?"
Nodding he sat back down on the chair by her bed. "I'm just glad we found you. That- that was the most nerve-wracking couple of hours of my life."
"Well, lucky for you, I'm here for the long haul." She grinned, not thinking about the greeny-blue looking bite on her neck. "Doc has signed my discharge papers so we are good to go. Shall we check on Lydipad before we head home?" She asked as she made to pick up her bag. Stiles beat her to it, carrying both her bag and the balloons so she'd walk freely.
"Yeah, she woke up like ten minutes ago so she's not having any visitors yet but we can just sit in the waiting room." Stiles exited the room and led the way, plopping down into one of the chairs in the waiting room, waiting for Lottie to sit before laying across the row of chairs and resting his head in Lottie's lap, sighing in relaxation when she ran her fingertips across his scalp.
"Have a nap Stiles, you've been up all night. I'll wake you when we can see her." Lottie soothed as his eyes fluttered shut. She smiled down at him as he drifted straight off to sleep, snoring lightly. Something tight pulled in her stomach as she looked at him.
An hour or so had passed by the time Stiles started muttering in his sleep, obviously having one of those fun dreams he'd kept mentioning to Scott. Burying his head further into Lottie's lap he started to mumble.
"Yeah... just like that. No, you first. Me first?" Lottie looked down, torn between laughing and being mildly concerned as he was very obviously having a sex dream whilst his head was borderline in her crotch.
"Stiles... Stiles." She tried to wake him to no avail, sending Melissa McCall a pleading look as the woman approached with a smile, laughing both at the boy and at Lottie's expense.
"You... you're dirty."
"Oh my God. This is not happening." Lottie groaned.
"Just like that. Just like-" He continued, rolling slightly so his head was no longer facing her crotch.
"Stiles... STILES!" Finally waking the boy after raising her voice, Lottie looked at him as he fell off the chairs he'd been laying on with a raised brow. "I don't even want to know the details. For once in my life, ignorance is bliss. Can we go get a snack please. I'm starving."
"Are you sure you don't want the details? I have to say, it was a pretty good dream, maybe one of the best." Stiles teased, trying to get over his own embarrassment at having a sex dream about his best friend whilst laying in her lap.
"Yep. I'll pass. What I do want is some gummy worms." Lottie smiled as they reached the vending machine and Stiles put a dollar in. Typing in the number for the gummy worms, Lottie and Stiles watched as the machine released the sweets - only to watch them get jammed on the way down.
"Seriously? You've got to be kidding me." Stiles muttered. Lottie released an exhale loudly, she just wanted her fucking gummy worms. Stiles looked over at her with a smile. "I've got it." He said cockily.
Tapping on the plexiglass of the machine, his confidence faltered as the sweets didn't budge. He then tried smacking the glass and eventually pounded on it with his fists. Still nothing. He noted that Lottie was zoning out, dazed.
"Watch this." He told the girl, bringing her back to reality as he rolled his sleeves up and rolled his shoulders back. Placing his legs as far apart as they could, he awkwardly gripped both sides of the vending machine, shaking it slightly, trying to wriggle the sweets free. "Son-of-a-fucking..." He muttered under his breath as he finally got a bit of momentum.
It finally seemed like the gummies were gonna release, when Stiles pulled a bit too hard and the machine came falling towards him and Lottie. With expert reflexes, Lottie pulled him out of the way to safety as they both stared down at the now smashed machine. Quickly scanning for witnesses, Lottie grabbed Stiles' pinky, tugging him away.
"Walk away. Stiles. Walk away." She muttered out of the side of her mouth, trying to act as natural as possible. Like they hadn't just damaged a couple hundred dollars worth of property. As she turned back to the waiting area, she let out a laugh, the hilarity of the situation hitting her. "That was exactly what I-" She was cut off by a scream - Lydia's scream.
"Lydia! Lydia?" She called out, Stiles following her as she ran to Lydia's room.
"What the hell was that?" Melissa asked as she entered the room with Mr Martin following after. They entered the bathroom to see the water still running, flooding the floor slightly. Lottie clutched Stiles' arm tightly and recoiled at the sight, taking a step back. Stiles noticed and hid her slightly behind him, making note to speak to her about it later. Right now though, they were all focused on Lydia. Who had vanished into thin air.
✧༺♥༻✧
"Naked? As in nude?" Sheriff Stilinski asked Melissa as he arrived on the scene.
"Pretty sure they mean the same thing, but yes. Far as we know, she left here, clothing-optional." Melissa retorted.
Spotting her dad for once, Lottie excused herself leaving Stiles with his dad as she made her way over to him.
"Hey Little Bee. You gave your old man quite a scare." He greeted, hugging her awkwardly.
"Scared myself too." Lottie tried to joke. "How was your surgery?"
"Super. My last one at Beacon Hills too for a while." He grinned, only for the grin to fall off his face at Lottie's confused expression. "Oh shit, I knew I forgot something."
"What do you mean 'last one'?"
"We're transferring. Moving to San Jose. It's only for six months. I could've sworn I mentioned it-"
"I'm not moving." Lottie told him sternly, furious he'd forgotten her, again. And forgotten to even consider her feelings.
"It's only for six-"
"I'm telling you," Lottie started, not knowing that her eyes had switched from their usual blue to completely white, the iris and the pupil disappearing, "I am not going. You will go by yourself. Get Uncle Damon to come watch over me if you must." She demanded, not noticing the slightly glazed look in her fathers eyes. Her eyes blinked back to her baby blues, confusion swirling in them as her father nodded.
"You're not going. You're right. I'll get Damon to come by and check on you." He agreed, not completely sure why he'd changed his mind so suddenly. Lottie wasn't complaining.
"When do you leave?" She asked as he reached forward and hugged her. She kept her arms by her side throughout the ordeal.
"Two days. I know I left it a bit last minute to tell you. But I'm only gonna be three and a half hours away by car. And it's only for six months. Now I have to get back, I have a shit tonne of paperwork to fill out. Love you Little Bee."
"Not like it'll make a difference. Never see you anyway." Lottie mumbled under her breath, just happy she'd be staying in Beacon Hills.
"What are you still doing here?" Stilinski asked Stiles as she made her way back over to the group.
"Moral support. I'm also taking Lottie home." Stiles answered, pointing at the girl who waved awkwardly.
"How about you provide your ass back home where you should be? Lottie should be in bed." Stilinski scolded as Stiles nodded.
"I can do that. Come on Lotts."
The two walked out of the hospital hand in hand as Lottie let Stiles carry her things in his other hand. She sighed tiredly, the thought of her bed becoming more and more appealing by the minute.
"So we aren't going straight home." Stiles hesitantly told the girl.
"Stiles." Lottie groaned. "Why? I'm exhausted."
"We are helping Scott track Lydia." He explained as they reached the Jeep, shoving the balloons in the back, he helped lift Lottie in the backseat per her request, insisting she wanted to lie down.
"Oh. Okay that's fine. How can I help?" She asked, suddenly wide awake at the thought of helping her friend.
"You can lie down and rest." Scott told her from the front seat of the car making her jump.
"Scotty!" She gasped, clutching her hand to her heart as Stiles jumped into the driver's seat.
"This is the one she was just wearing?" Scott asked him as Stiles handed over Lydia's bloody hospital gown. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt her. Not again." Scott promised, before lowering his voice so only Stiles could hear. "Either of them. I'll never let anyone touch her again." He nodded towards Lottie, meaning what he said as Stiles looked back at her.
"Just shove the thing in your face and let's find her." Stiles grunted.
Lottie had her eyes shut and was trying to sleep before the boys needed her. She rolled over slightly, facing away from the boys when suddenly her hearing muffled slightly, like she was underwater. She could hear the lull of the lake gushing in her ears. She shot up in a panic, breathing loudly.
"You okay Lotts?" Stiles asked, glancing back at her with concern before he turned back to slam his brakes as Allison had just stood in front of his Jeep.
"I'm okay. Just overtired." She lied.
"What are you doing? Someone's going to see us–" Scott panicked as Allison made her way to the back seat.
"Hey Allycat." Lottie mumbled, sitting up so the girl could squeeze in.
"Hey Lottie," Allison smiled, "Look Scott, I don't care. She's my best friend. And we need to find her before they do."
"I can find her before the cops." Scott insisted as Stiles put the car in drive.
"How about before my dad?" Allison raised a brow at the boy.
"He knows?" Stiles asked.
"I just saw him and three other guys leave my house in two SUV's." Allison explained.
"A search party?" Scott asked optimistically.
"More like a hunting party." Lottie mumbled, furious that they were going after her friend. Also deciding that for now, it was safer to keep the information about her own bite, to herself.
"If she's turning, would they actually kill her?" Stiles asked as he started to move out of the parking lot.
"I don't know. They haven't been telling me anything. All they say is we'll talk after Kate's funeral when the others get here."
"What others?" Lottie asked, an ominous feeling running down her back. A handful of hunters was one thing. An army of them was another. And she'd been bitten.
"They won't tell me that either." Allison sighed as Lottie rested her head on her shoulder.
"Okay, your family has some serious communication issues to work on." Stiles retorted, before turning to the young werewolf in his jeep. "Scott? We going the right way?" Scott had his head comically stuck out of the window with his nose in the air, sniffing to find their friend.
"Take the next right!" He shouted.
✧༺♥༻✧
Standing in the ruins of the Hale house, mere hours after she'd almost died a mile or two away was not how Lottie wanted to spend her night. Running her fingers along the yellow crime tape she listened to her friends.
"She came here? You're sure?" Stiles asked, looking over at Lottie, concerned with how out of it she seemed.
"This is where the scent leads." Scott sighed, shrugging, confused himself.
"But has Lydia ever been here?"
"Not with me." Allison answered, turning to Scott. "Maybe she came here on instinct. Like she was looking for Derek."
"Like looking for an Alpha?" Scott queried. Lottie's ears perked up at the suggestion. She'd been bitten but she had no inclination to look for a leader, to look for an authoritative figure. In fact she recoiled at the idea of someone telling her what to do. Deciding to get involved, she walked back over to the group.
"Wolves need a pack, right? Well they're stronger in them aren't they?" Lottie mused over the thought.
"Not all of them." Scott replied as he watched Stiles watching Lottie who was completely unaware of the boy's gaze.
"No of course. But there's strength in numbers right? Like the more of you there is the more strength you have?" Lottie explained.
"Would she be drawn to an Alpha? Is that an instinct? To be part of a pack?" Allison asked as Scott reluctantly nodded.
"Lottie's right. It's more than just strength in numbers. It's like literally being stronger. Faster. Better. In every way."
"Is it the same for an Alpha too?" Allison pressed, hoping it wasn't.
"It'll make Derek stronger too."
Stiles had wandered off a little, in hopes of finding a lead when he came across a thin wire. He waved the group over. "Hey, look at this. You see this?" He asked, picking up the wire gently. "I think it's a tripwire."
The group took a step closer to him in hopes of stopping him triggering it, but it was too late. He pulled the wire triggering it. Lottie, Allison and Stiles all looked at each other, hearing the sound of zipping, slicing through the air.
"Stiles." They heard Scott call out. As they turned around they saw Scott dangling, hanging by his bound feet. Lottie muffled her laughter as she stuck her head behind Stiles, resting on his back. "Next time you see a tripwire? Don't trip it."
"Or do. Only if it results in this every time though." Lottie mused, snickering at Scott who rolled his eyes with a smile at the girl, just happy to see her smile.
"Noted." Stiles nodded as he and Allison went to help Scott down before he called out.
"Someone's coming. Hide." Scott panicked in a hushed shout. Stiles grabbed a reluctant Allison and pulled her behind a tree before reaching over and grabbed Lottie pulling her to his chest. Footsteps thudded as they made their way to the clearing where Scott hung.
"Scott." Argent greeted as he stood before the boy.
"Mr. Argent." Scott replied, trying to be as charming as ever.
"How are you doing?"
"Good. You know. Hanging out." Scott snarked, Stiles had to put his hand over Lottie's mouth to prevent her snickers from echoing throughout the woods. "This one of yours? It's nice. Good design. Very constricting." Scott continued as he was ignored. The hunters assisting Argent were slowly snaking closer to the hidden trio.
"What are you doing out here, Scott?" Argent asked, not impressed by Scotts comments.
"Looking for my friend."
Nodding, Argent thought over what he said. "That's right. Lydia's in your little group, isn't she? Part of your clique? Is that the word you use? Or is there another way to put it? Part of your pack?"
"Actually, clique sounds about right to me." Scott replied, matter of factly.
"I hope so. Because I know she's a friend of Allison's. And one special circumstance, such as yourself? One I can handle. But not two. Scott, do you know what a hemicorporectomy is?" Argent continued, lightly threatening the boy.
"I have a feeling I don't want to." Scott sighed, meeting the man's gaze, trying to maintain a tough exterior.
"It's the medical term for amputating someone at the waist. Cutting them in half. It takes an enormous amount of strength to cut through tissue and bone like that." He finished his threat. Stiles and Allison had to hold Lottie who was wrestling a way out of their arms. An inexplicable rage filling her at the thought of someone threatening one of her best friends.
"Lottie, you're gonna give us away. Please stop." Allison begged the girl in a hushed tone, sighing in relief as the girl stopped wriggling, keeping her hand over her mouth.
"Let's hope a demonstration never becomes necessary." Argent finished.
He was finally cut off when dogs started barking in the distance. The police search was coming. At the sound of Argents retreating footsteps, the trio made their way out of their hiding space, Lottie shaking off her friend's hands.
"You okay?" Allison asked as Lottie made her way over to the trip wire trying to figure out how to safely get Scott down.
"Just another life-threatening conversation with your dad." Scott sighed.
"Do you have blood left in your body at this point? You've been hanging up there for a while now." Lottie asked teasingly.
"Stiles, help me with this." Allison laughed, pausing when she heard the sounds of claws unsheathing and Scott landing on the ground with a thud.
"Thanks guys. But I think I've got it." Scott smirked. Stiles and Allison turned to each other impressed whilst Lottie scoffed.
"You couldn't have done that like fifteen minutes ago?" She asked.
"You coming?" Scott replied, ignoring the comment as they continued their search.
The quartet continued their search for as long as Lottie could walk, she was seriously lagging as she'd not slept since she'd woken at the hospital hours ago. When Scott and Stiles noticed they glanced at each other before nodding. Stiles stopped walking and waited for Lottie to catch up before lifting her up onto his back.
"I can... I can walk." Lottie slurred sleepily.
"Sure you can. Come on. Time to get you to bed."
✧༺♥༻✧
Lottie was finally home in the early hours of the morning as Scott carried her in, Stiles trailing after them. Mumbling sleepily, Lottie grinned at her boys as Scott put her down on her bed. Stiles made his way over to his drawer, it was the bottom one Lottie's chest of drawers. He pulled out one of his shirts and walked over to Lottie who was already asleep.
"She'll be comfortable enough like that won't she?" He asked Scott who was tucking her in.
"I'm sure she'll just be grateful for some sleep. Besides, if we wake her, she'll make the Alpha look like the Easter Bunny."
"You know I'm not leaving her side right?" Stiles told Scott as he pulled one of Lottie's decorative pillows off her bed and grabbed a blanket before laying on the floor, not wanting to disturb her by climbing in her bed.
"Room for one more?" Scott mused, laying next to the boy. Tucking in and watching over one of his dearest friends.
Lottie was fast asleep as the sun began to rise. The tiredness had knocked her for six and by the time she landed on her pillow she was out like a light. Only the peaceful sleep didn't last very long. Dreams of murky water and the rustle of water reeds and weeds filled her ears. Visions of an arm slithering out of the water crept towards her, its fingers webbed with claws. The arm crept closer and closer until it lunged for Lottie's throat, causing the girl to wake up with a scream erupting from her throat.
Stiles and Scott were sleeping peacefully on the floor, Stiles wrapped around Scott like a koala bear. They woke with a start at the sound of Lottie's scream, a mess of tangled arms and legs as they fought to stand.
"What?! What's happening?" Stiles shouted as he managed to break free and rush to Lottie's side as began to dry heave. "Scott is she- she's choking!" Stiles shouted. Rubbing her back as Scott ran to get some water. Lottie however, despite choking on seemingly nothing, was eerily calm as the fit began to cease.
"Are you okay? What happened?" Stiles asked as Scott came back in with water.
"Nothing. I just- just had a nightmare." She reassured. "Seriously, it's nothing. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you both." She untangled herself from her position on Stiles' arms as she stood up, deciding it was best to just get ready for school. "Seriously guys." She pushed as they stared at her with concern in their eyes. "Go home and get ready for school, I'll meet you there."
"You're not- you don't want me to drive?" Stiles asked, confused. She'd never driven herself to school for as long as he'd had his Jeep.
"I just need a minute to collect my thoughts. Seriously, it's just been a busy few hours." Lottie needed a break. She loved her boys but between the bite aching on her neck and the nightmares, she wanted to be alone for just fifteen minutes. "Besides, you guys don't wanna be in the car when I sing Taylor this morning." She grinned, internally sighing when they both sunk their shoulders, clearly believing the lie.
"Okay." Scott nodded. "But if you're not in that parking lot by eight-thirty. I'm sniffing you out."
"Yeah, I'll personally drive through your bedroom wall if you aren't there." Stiles confirmed.
"Yes, okay dads. Geez." She laughed.
"We're leaving now." Scott laughed as he pulled Stiles out the door.
Lottie didn't let out a breath until she heard the front door shut. Flopping back down onto her bed, she connected her phone to her speakers. Letting the music fill the house she made her way to the bathroom cautiously. She needed to wash. She wasn't about to go to school smelling of lake water and the woods.
"Come on. You can do this." She muttered. Making her way into the bathroom, she glanced between her shower and her bath. Shower it was, baby steps. Turning the tap onto the gentlest setting, she slowly undressed and stepped in, holding her breath, she began washing over herself in record breaking time she was out in seconds.
Washing her hair was another task. She debated leaning over the bath and doing it before deciding it was probably quicker to unhook the shower and just shove her head in. Holding her breath again she wet her hair, tears reaching her eyes as flashbacks of the lakes and her nightmare flashed before her eyes.
"You will not be weak. You're not dead. Wash your fucking hair." She spat at herself, forcing her hands to massage the shampoo into her hair. She held a breath in again as she sped through her wash routine. Immediately turning off the tap when she was finished. Running back to her room before she even grabbed her towel.
She collapsed on her bed, wrapping herself in her blanket as she crumbled. Tears leaked out of her eyes at a rapid pace as her breathing became shallow. In seconds she was choking again, gasping for a breath. Reaching over the side of her bed she began to throw up. But it wasn't sick. It was murky green lake water. It kept pouring out like a turned on tap until she could throw up no longer and her throat was raw.
"What is happening to me?" She whispered to herself, glancing at the mess she'd made. "If Peter Hale ever comes back from the dead... I'm gonna send him back to hell myself." She promised herself as the scared look on her face transformed into a determined one. She was gonna figure out what was happening to her... and until she figured out if she was a danger to anyone, she was gonna figure it out alone.
✧༺♥༻✧
"She ate the liver?" Scott asked. Lottie had pulled up to the school at exactly eight twenty-five, greeted with her boys standing and waving at her. Stiles was just catching them up on what he'd overheard this morning from his father. Apparently a grave was robbed last night and the body had been robbed of its liver. All fingers were pointed at Lydia.
"I didn't say she ate it. I said it was missing. And if she did I mean at least it's the most nutritious part of the body." Stiles explained.
"Okay, first of all, you say I'm too into crime and then come out with stuff like that? Second of all, she robbed a grave? I need to check on Isaac." Lottie decided, knowing that he worked at the cemetery, often late at night.
"You plan mur- wait whose Isaac- Isaac who?" Stiles asked, spinning to face Lottie with an irritated look on his face.
"Isaac Lahey? He's in our chem class? Come on guys he's on the lacrosse team for fuck sake. He works at the cemetery sometimes." Lottie told the boys as they looked at her confused.
"Anyway, I never ate anyone's liver." Scott brought them back to the topic at hand.
"Lotts, we'll get back to this Isaac kid. And oh right, because when it comes to werewolves you're a real model of self-control Scott." Stiles mused. "Hold on. You're the test case for this. We should be going over what happened to you."
"What do you mean?"
"I get his thinking." Lottie nodded, going along with Stiles' train of thought. "What was going through your head when you were turning? What were you drawn to?"
"Allison." He grinned.
"Nothing else?" Stiles pressed.
"Nothing else mattered. But that's good, right? The night Lydia was bit, she was with you two. She'll be drawn to either both of you or one of you right?" Scott tried to be optimistic.
"Yeah but she was looking for Jackson." Stiles pointed out matter-of-factly, but to Lottie she took it that he was disappointed, that sinking feeling hitting her in the gut again.
"Guys, whilst you two figure out if Lydia is the next Hannibal the Cannibal, I'm gonna try and find Isaac." Lottie departed with a grin.
✧༺♥༻✧
Lottie had no luck finding Isaac until her chemistry class but he sat on the other side of the room. She settled for a smile in his direction with a promise to get him later in the day. Sat in between Scott and Stiles she knew it was only a matter of time until they got in trouble, especially when Stiles began talking about the boy's conversation with Jackson.
"It causes me severe mental anguish to say this, but he's right."
"I know." Scott agreed.
"What if the next body part she steals is from someone who's still alive?" Lottie gathered they were discussing Lydia and her new diet as well as Jacksons general lack of care for anybody but himself.
"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." Mr Harris called out as he heard Stiles talking.
"Can you do that?" Stiles queried.
"There it is again. Your voice. Triggering the only impulse I've ever had to strike a student. Repeatedly and violently. I'll see you at three for detention."
Jackson suddenly stood, his chair scraping against the floor, holding his hand to a bleeding nose. He ran out of the room as the trio gaped at him. Lottie had a weird feeling about his abrupt exit, especially since the blood was black. Raising her hand she got Mr Harris' attention.
"What Ms Bailey?" He sighed.
"I need the bathroom." She told him, ignoring Scott and Stiles sending glances her way. Sensing her teacher was going to say no she elaborated. "It's that time of the month."
Sighing, he let her go. She made her way to the boys bathroom, guessing that's where Jackson went. Pausing outside the door when she heard voices arguing.
"Your body's fighting the bite." She heard someone say.
"What does that mean?" Jackson replied.
"I don't know."
Lottie stepped away from the door, leaning on the lockers next to the bathroom, trying to hide her shock as she saw Derek exit the bathroom. Pretending to check her nails, she met his gaze as he turned to face her.
"Tiny. What are you doing here?" He asked her.
"You mean, what am I doing at the high school I attend?" She scoffed.
"What did you hear?"
"Enough." She shrugged, suddenly all too aware of the quickly fading bite hiding behind her turtleneck.
"Don't tell Scott." Derek demanded.
"Oh please. We both know this is gonna blow up in your face without me doing anything. Scott will find out either from me, or from Jackson acting out. Your funeral either way."
'Are you annoyed at me?" Derek asked, slightly surprised by the sudden hostility.
"I'm annoyed because you selfishly took away Scott's cure and my chance at Peter. I'm not annoyed however, because you saved my life. Thank you by the way. You left before I could say that."
"You don't have to thank me. You do, however, have to answer my next question honestly." He asked in a threatening tone as they made their way down the hallway.
"I'm quaking in my boots Toto." Lottie retorted sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
"How's your bite healing?" He asked, stopping in the hallway.
Lottie subconsciously tried to keep her heart rate at a steady pace as she continued walking, she hadn't realised he'd seen it. Internally panicking she turned on one foot to face him as he was still standing in his place. She figured she'd do what she has a talent for. Lie.
"What bite?"
"The bite on your neck. I saw it."
"You mean the cut on my neck from the reeds? Not a bite mark." She rolled her eyes, the lies rolling off her tongue. Derek's brows furrowed as he knew she was bitten but her heart rate didn't change.
"I know you're lying. Show me." He demanded, taking a step towards her. She held her ground and met his gaze.
"You want me to be lying. You know my heart rate isn't changing. And as much as I'm sure you and a lot of other guys in this building would love for me to take my clothes off... I'm not into voyeurism." Lottie smirked at the look on his face. "Derek, please leave now. Forget about it okay? I have a chem test to get to." Derek's eyes glazed over, before he nodded and left without a word. "Weird, I thought it would take more than that." Lottie mumbled as she made her way back to her test, forgetting all about Jackson.
✧༺♥༻✧
Lottie was crouched behind a large headstone in the cemetery with Scott as they watched Allison's family arrive for Kate Argent's funeral. They were suddenly aware of two new presences. One was an older man, presumably Allison's grandfather and the other was Stiles, sliding into the gap between Lottie and Scott making the two of them jump.
"Who's that?" He asked, glancing at the older man, hiding behind the headstone as the man looked in their direction.
"Definitely an Argent." Scott muttered.
"I have a horrendous feeling about him." Lottie grumbled, her focus locked on Stiles' hand as she grabbed it and began to play with his fingers.
"Maybe they're just here for the funeral. Maybe they're in the non-hunting part of the family. They could be non-hunting Argents, right?" Stiles tried, distracted slightly by the girl sitting next to him.
"I know what they are. They're reinforcements." Scott determined with a face like thunder.
The three had been sitting for a few minutes when a voice called out and made them jump. "You three are unbelievable!" Stilinski complained as he grabbed both the boys and pulled them up. Guiding the three of them to his car, he carted them all into the back seat, Lottie sat comfortably on Stiles lap.
"I don't think I copied that. You said 415-Adam?" Stilinski repeated as he heard a panicked message over his radio.
"Disturbance in a car." Stiles explained to Scott and Lottie in a hushed whisper.
"They were taking a heart attack victim--D-O-A. But on the way to the hospital something hit them." The deputy continued.
"Hit the ambulance?" Stilinski asked, pressing for more information as the trio in the backseats sat upright, listening intently.
"Copy. I'm--I'm standing in front of it now. Something got in the back. There's blood everywhere. And I mean, everywhere." The deputy sounded traumatised by whatever he was looking at.
"Copy that, Unit Four. What's your twenty?"
"Route five and Post. I swear, I've never seen anything like this."
"I'm on my way." Stilinski confirmed before turning to speak to his delinquents. "And as for you three-" But they were already gone and on their way to Lydia's latest crime scene.
The three arrived at the scene quickly, hiding amongst the trees and crouching behind Stiles' Jeep. The scene was unlike anything Lottie had seen before. It truly did look like the scene from the back of the ambulance in 'The Silence of the Lambs'. Lydia really was living out her Hannibal Lecter era. Blood was everywhere. Not a single surface was clear of it.
"What the hell's Lydia doing?" Stiles muttered, almost as disturbed as the ambulance attendants.
"I don't know." Lottie answered.
"What kept you from doing that? Was it Allison?" Stiles turned to Scott.
"I hope so."
"Do you need to get closer?"
"No, I got it."
"Please find her, Scott. She'll be scared. It's cold and she's alone." Lottie pleaded.
"I will." Scott nodded before taking off into the woods.
✧༺♥༻✧
Stiles wrapped his arms around Lottie as they stayed on the lookout for Lydia as it began to darken outside. They were about to head home for the night when they heard leaves rustling across the road.
"Lydia?" Lottie called out, seeing the girl materialise before them, stepping out from the woods, eyes unfocused. "Lydia!" Lottie repeated as the girl snapped back to reality. Noticing she was naked, Lottie took off her jumper and slid off her skirt as she was wearing shorts underneath before running to the girl and covering her. "Stiles come and hide Lydia please whilst I help her dress." Lottie informed as the boy walked over with his eyes covered by his hands.
"I'm not looking. Dad? Tell everyone to avert their eyes!" Stiles shouted as he spotted his dad.
"Oh Lydiapad, where have you been?" Lottie asked quietly as she pulled the jumper over the girls head before pulling her into a tight hug.
"I don't know Lottie." Lydia replied, her bottom lip quivering as Lottie clutched her tighter.