✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 3.12 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

'you-you'll regret this'

"trust me when I say. nothing will make me happier'

✧༺♥༻✧

Gasps filled and echoed across the silent Animal Clinic as Stiles, Scott and Allison inhaled deeply, gulping air with a sense of hope.

"I saw it– I know where it is." Scott announced to the room as he began to scramble out of the tub, followed by Stiles and Allison.

"We passed it. There's a stump, this huge tree– it's not huge now, it was cut down but the stump? Huge." Stiles added to the discussion as he immediately went for his phone, hoping that he'd see Lottie's name lit up on his screen. He couldn't help but feel the weight of his disappointment when his screen was blank. "The night you were bit by Peter, when we were looking for the body."

"I was there too. In the car with my mum. We almost hit someone." Allison said as Lydia wrapped her arms around the shivering girl.

Scott looked at his ex-girlfriend, elated by the comment, "It was me– you almost hit me." The shivering teens turned to Deaton. "We can find it." Only they weren't met with happy, hopeful faces, they were met with looks of worry and fear.

"You guys were out for a long time." Isaac added, wringing his hands out in anxiety as he looked out the window, the moon shining as Scott looked out in confusion.

"How long is a long time?" Stiles asked as the daunting realisation hit him. They went under when it was dark - if they were out for a long time and it was still dark, their time was running out - quickly.

"Sixteen hours." Deaton replied glumly. "And the moon rises in four."

"I need to go back." Scott announced as a towel was wrapped around his shoulders.

"No, dude. You're not going back to them. Absolutely not." Stiles argued as he shook the towel off himself in anger.

"I made a deal with Deucalion." Scott sighed. It wasn't what he wanted but it's what he needed - or so he thought anyway.

Stiles began pacing, "Anybody else think that sounded a lot like "deal with the Devil." I don't know about you guys, but I've heard that situation doesn't usually come with a happy ending."

"I don't think we can beat Jennifer without their help. Lottie's god knows where and is unable to help until we get her. We need their help." Scott pointed out unhelpfully.

"I'm well aware my girlfriend is fucking MIA, trust me. I'm also aware that our first goal should be to get her and our parents out. Yet we are standing here arguing about why you're an idiot for going to Deucalion." Stiles fumed.

Allison turned to Deaton, hoping to convince the older man to persuade Scott to stay, "He trusts you more than any of us. Tell him he's wrong."

"I'm not so sure he is. Circumstances like this sometimes require you to align yourself with people you'd normally consider enemies." Deaton unfortunately disagreed with the girl who simply blanked at him in response.

Isaac almost growled at the decision, the longer they stood there, the longer his sister was missing, potentially being tortured and it was killing him, "We're supposed to trust him? The guy who calls himself Death, destroyer of worlds."

Deaton shook his head, "I wouldn't trust him, no. But you could certainly use him to your advantage."

Scott sighed, "If we find our parents and Jennifer's there waiting for us, no one's getting out alive. We need help."

The room fell silent as they all thought of a way out of the situation they found themselves in, only one coming up with an idea that could help.

"What if we could distract her?" Lydia asked.

"She wants Deucalion. Nothing's going to distract her from that."

Deaton hummed in agreement with the redhead, "Then build a plan that involves him. Deucalion may be an enemy. But he can also be the bait." He approached Scott, lowering his voice. "Part of being a leader is trusting the ones who follow you to do their part."

Scott turned to face his friends, realising how each of them were ready to risk their lives - following him. Nodding he gave in. "Okay. Then we better come up with a really good plan. Really fast."

The sound of the front door opening interrupted the group and their discussion, causing them to follow the Doctor to the waiting room. Ethan stood there awkwardly as he waited to be spoken to.

"I'm looking for Lydia." He announced as he saw the girl step out from behind the crowd. "I need your help."

"With what?" Allison asked protectively, placing herself slightly in front of the redhead.

"Stopping my brother and Kali from killing Derek."

✧༺♥༻✧

A gentle hand helped Derek drink from a bottle of water in the dark loft as he blinked himself back to consciousness. He felt his body relax as he met the gaze of Cora, sitting and smiling back at him.

Boyd had arrived at some point during his state of unconsciousness and sat looking worriedly at his Alpha. Derek couldn't help but wonder where the boy had been the last few days but found he didn't have the energy to care at that moment, he was just glad he was okay.

"You're okay." Derek breathed out, sitting up slowly.

"Better than you at the moment. But all because of you." Cora replied sadly, she was happy to be alive but sad at what it had cost her brother.

"And hopefully not all for nothing. The moon's rising, Derek." Peter added, nodding to the full moon out the window of the loft. "You just drained your battery down to the red and there's a fully charged Alpha on her way to rip you limb from limb."

"I'll be fine in an hour or so."

"I sincerely hope so. Because a few hours is all you have."

✧༺♥༻✧

In the root cellar, Melissa blinked her eyes open slowly, waking from her slumber to see Lottie still passed out. In the hours they'd been down there, Lottie had passed out in pain from the transmitter being so close to her. She only hoped the girl would wake soon and would have enough energy to fight - not even for them but for herself. Argent was peering down at the Ultrasonic Emitter in his hands with a downcast look as Stilinski sent the man a death glare.

"Still working?" Melissa asked.

Argent nodded, "But not for much longer."

"Thank God. It's tortured Lottie for hours and the full moon is near, she's going to wake up in unbearable pain if what Melissa told me about her transformations is true. I won't forget this." Stilinski raged as he fought against his bind with newfound hope, purely so he could help the young girl who was slowly stirring in her sleep.

"Is she actually going to come down here and slash all of our throats?" Melissa asked, worry dripping in her tone.

"No, she'll strangle us with a garrote first. Then slash our throats." Stilinski replied.

A strong wind whistled above them. The beams above them creaked as the wood stretched and bent under the weight as dirt tumbled through one of the broken windows.

"It's just the wind." Argent reassured as the wind howled with an unnatural strength. The three parents turned their eyes to the ceiling as the roof seemingly sounded as if it were pressing down on them. Their attention however was taken by the young siren sitting across from them, groaning awake.

"Thank fuck that noise is quieter. What have I missed?"

✧༺♥༻✧

Lydia made her way cautiously to Derek with a nervous Ethan by her side as Peter, Cora and Boyd kept a watchful eye on the twin. Before either newcomer could speak however, Derek piped up with his own question.

"Have you heard from Tiny? I've tried her phone like twelve times and still nothing. It's not long till the full moon and she's gonna be in a world of pain if she's not in water soon." He rambled, uncharacteristically.

Lydia shook her head glumly, "Nothing." Upon seeing Derek's downcast look she continued, "This is Lott's if anyone can survive this it's her. She'll be okay."

"We know about the lunar eclipse. So don't think Kali's going to sit around waiting for it to level the playing field. She's coming. And my brother's coming with her." Ethan interrupted, eager to get straight to the point. He was sick of the fighting - or at least fighting for the wrong side.

Peter clapped his hands together as he made his way over to Derek, "Good enough for me. Derek, let's get out of here."

"You want me to run?" Derek asked incredulously.

"No, I want you to stay and get slaughtered by an Alpha with a psychotic foot fetish. Of course, I want you to run. Sprint, gallop, leap your way the hell out of this town." Peter replied as if it were obvious. They may have a troubled relationship, but it suited Peter more to have Derek alive. Derek turned to look at his sister who looked back at him with a sad smile.

"If you want to fight and die for something, fine with me. But do it for something meaningful." Cora emphasised.

Derek almost looked offended, "How do you know I'm going to lose?"

"We don't." Peter replied, turning to Lydia, "But I bet she has an idea. Don't you, Lydia?"

Lydia's eyes widened as she shrugged, "I don't know anything."

"But you feel something, don't you?" Peter insisted. Lydia paused, glancing around the room with a slight hint of terror glazing over her eyes she slowly nodded.

"What do you feel?" Derek asked.

"I feel like... like I'm standing in a graveyard."

✧༺♥༻✧

The door to the Argent apartment clicked open as Allison led Scott and Isaac both inside. Scott distractedly spoke to Stiles on the phone as Allison took them to her fathers wardrobe.

"Just grab anything. No, Stiles, I'm not smelling your dad's boxers. Socks?" He asked, repeating Stiles' query. "Yeah, I'll smell the socks." Quickly hanging up he focused on the task at hand.

"What about me?" Isaac asked, trying to ignore the voices in his head that kept screaming at him to find Lottie.

Allison sighed, "See what you can find in my Dad's closet. Anything with the strongest scent." She turned to go into the office but stopped short at the sight of Scott's father with two deputies flanking him.

"Quite the arsenal your father's got here, young lady." McCall smirked confidently, only for the confidence to fade when Scott appeared in the doorway "Scott-"

"What are you doing here?" The boy asked his father, his tone less than impressed.

"Following one of the only leads I have. Now, since I don't know where you've been, why don't you have a seat and we can talk." He looked between the two teenagers with a sigh before calling out, "You too, Isaac."

With a hesitant look, Isaac stepped into the office from the hall. "How do you know my name?" He asked, his defences going up. What he'd give for Lottie to be with him right now.

"Your name is one of the few things I know." McCall replied, looking over to Scott. "To be honest, the rest of what's going on around here has me stumbling in the dark for even the smallest clue."

Scott scoffed, "If you're trying to tell me you don't have a clue, I learned that a long time ago." His father gave a soft smile at the expertly executed jab.

"I'm really hoping to avoid the embarrassment of dragging my own son into an interrogation room. Really hoping."

Allison, Scott and Isaac sat stone-faced in the office as Agent McCall paced before them, trying to crack through their hard exteriors. If any of them were in a different situation, they might feel bad for the clueless man, but his presence was making saving their parents harder by the second.

"I'm not going to lie. I'm more than a little disturbed by not only the number of missing parents, but the fact that it's Stiles's father-- " He points to Allison, "Your father–" Then points to Scott, "And your mother."

"My biological parents are dead. My dad, however, is a well-respected doctor. I doubt he'd appreciate you interrogating me - a minor - without him present." Isaac interjected with a smug smile as he reached forward and took a mint from the box upon it. As he took one, McCall grabbed the tin back out of his hands.

"Save the clichéd teenage apathy for your high school teachers–"

"Ooo, you are so lucky my sister isn't here right now. She'd have you for dinner... Detective."

"Ah yes, Charlotte Bailey. Another one of your groupies. I'll get on to that later. The three of you know more than you're saying and I'm fully willing to keep you here all night if I have to. Are you listening, Scott?" McCall directed his attention back to his son.

Silently, Scott let his gaze focus on an object among the arsenal on Argent's desk. A flashbolt. He felt his frustration levels rise as he levelled his cold stare on his father. "You can't keep us here. Not without some kind of warrant."

"I've got a desk full of probable cause."

Pushing her chair back, Allison stood to face the man. "My father is a highly respected private security consultant and Federally Licensed Firearms Dealer. That means he has to own a few weapons." She approached the desk and began pointing out weapons. "Like this one hundred seventy-five pound draw tactical crossbow. Or this carbon steel Marine combat knife. This Mark Seven Desert Eagle. This smoke grenade with pull ring igniter." Without a pause, she picked up the grenade and pulled the pin, launching it onto the desk.

The grenade bounced across the desk as coloured smoke flew into the faces of McCall and the deputies as they shouted their protests.

"GO!" Allison shouted to the boys as they jumped out of their chairs and bolted as the shouts of Agent McCall followed them.

"Wait--Scott, wait!" But it was to no avail. The teens had already gone.

✧༺♥༻✧

Kali's clawed foot smashed the blinking red security light on the alarm panel as she entered Derek's loft with Aiden following close behind.

"Where is he?" The female Alpha asked, turning her glare to Lydia and Ethan.

"I think he said he was heading out to do some shopping. Run a few errands. The usual werewolf afternoon." Lydia replied sarcastically as she tried to hide her fear as Kali started towards her. Aiden watched with concern but made no effort to interfere.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Kali fumed as she closed in on the girl.

"I'm sure you've already been told, probably by my best friend, but I'm talking to someone desperately in need of a pedicure. I'd be happy to give you a referral."

Still approaching, Kali's eyes glowed a deep red, only to pause at the sound of a low growl coming from behind her. She turned to see Aiden looking at her with palpable threat. "Did someone take their assignment too seriously?" She asked mockingly.

Aiden eyed Lydia, "She's not the problem."

"Maybe, the problem is where your loyalties lie." Kali hissed as Lydia moved to cling to Ethan.

"Oh God, is this about to get really violent?"

Before Ethan could answer however, the skylight above them shattered, startling them all as glass fell upon them. A body fell to the floor from the skylight, landing solidly on two feet. Rising amid the shards of still falling glass, Jennifer levelled her hate-filled gaze on Kali and the twins.

"So... who wants to be first?" Jennifer smirked as Kali came at her, sending roundhouse kick after roundhouse kick at the women only to miss every single time. Jennifer was impossibly fast.

Ethan and Aiden raced to each other to connect, but Jennifer pulled them apart, refusing to let them form as one. She endured a whirlwind of blows from each twin, continuing to stop them from conjoining, sending one and then another smashing into the walls. Lydia hid under debris and flying bodies, desperate to stay out of the fray, a fear enveloping her in a way not entirely foreign to her - after all, she'd faced death before. Kali tumbled past Lydia, turning her furious gaze to a frighteningly calm Jennifer.

"That's right, Kali. Look at me. Look at my face. Do you know what it takes to be able to look like this? To be able to look normal." Jennifer began, smiling in a manner that was anything but friendly.

"I don't care." Kali spat back, defiantly.

"It takes power like this." Wind began to hurtle through the skylight, filling the loft in its intensity.

Kali began to retreat as she saw the glass on the floor begin to tremble under the gust. With a mere turn of her head, Jennifer sent the shards of glass flying into the air as Lydia threw her hands up to protect herself, closing her eyes to save herself from what came next. With a smug wave of her fingers, Jennifer sent the shards of glass zooming to Kali, watching happily as the shards impaled the Alpha with brute force. Kali fell forward, landing on her front as blood steadily dripped onto the concrete floor of the loft as her red eyes faded to black, the last sign of life leaving her.

As Jennifer stood over Kali's dead body with a smile, she noticed the Twin Alphas conjoined and furious standing behind her, their reflection showing in a shard of glass on the floor. She whirled around, smirking as they charged towards her, swiping their claws at the Darach. Unfortunately for them, in one swift move Jennifer snapped the Twin Alpha's neck in two. The monster stumbled, slamming to the floor with a terrifying thud as Lydia let out a whimper, her eyes focused on what was once her lover and his twin.

Satisfied with her work, Jennifer turned her attention to the terrified redhead, cowering in the corner. Shaking her head sadly, she smiled softly looking between Lydia and the now separated twins. "What's that line Coach likes to say? The bigger they are..." Stepping over the shattered glass, she made her way over to Lydia.

"What do y-you want with me?" Lydia stuttered as the woman reached her, pulling her to her feet and forcing her back against the wall.

"I want you to do what you do best Lydia. I want you to scream." And scream she did.

✧༺♥༻✧

Headlights cut through the darkness as Scott's motocross bike and Allison's car soared into the entrance of the Beacon Hills Preserve. Allison and Isaac got out of the car to meet Scott as he was pulling his helmet off.

Allison moved to place a hand on Scott's shoulder, "Are you okay?"

"I didn't know what to say to him. I couldn't come up with anything. But what you did--that was awesome."

Isaac glanced at his phone with a frown, "I haven't heard from Stiles. Not a message or answer or anything. Have you guys?" When the duo shook their heads at him, his frown deepened. "We can't- we can't wait for him. Lottie will kill me but he'll kill us if we hesitate." Isaac sent one last text to Stiles before his head snapped up, hearing a scream in the distance. "Was that Lydia?"

Before Scott can reply, both he and Isaac sense a presence. They turned to see Deucalion standing just outside the shadows, his usual omniscient expression upon his face.

"Cutting it a little close, aren't we Scott?" He hummed as he took a step closer to the boy.

"We got a little delayed. Where are the others?" Scott asked as he glanced around the shadows behind the Alpha.

"They're occupying themselves with other pursuits currently. Even an Alpha pack has to be democratic."

Scott looked appalled, "Just you and me then? Against her?"

"Admittedly, I'd like Charlotte to have been with us, but since she's currently indisposed-" Isaac growled at the comment as Deucalion rolled his eyes and continued, "I like our chances, I think you'll be surprised to find we make a good team Scott."

Scott turned to Isaac and Allison. "Get Stiles and get to the root cellar. We'll keep Jennifer away long enough for you to get them out of there." Little did they all know, they wouldn't find Stiles. For he was passed out in Roscoe having been in a car accident, causing him to fall unconscious instantly.

"How are you going to do that?" Isaac asked as Allison watched on nervously.

"I've got a plan." At the unsure looks from his ex-girlfriend and his friend he reassured them. "Really, I've got a plan."

✧༺♥༻✧

Lottie was weak. She felt it in her bones. The moon was almost at its peak and between being knocked out, the sound of the emitter knocking her out and the fact she was essentially being tortured by the closeness of the water she was weak. Zoning out, she focused on breaking the last few strands on the binds around her wrists. Her claws were retracting intermittently, losing control because of her situation.

"Little Lotts, you've almost got it. I believe in you. Keep going." Stilinski encouraged.

He felt his heart ache at the sight of the beaten and borderline broken girl. He saw her as a daughter and he'd die before he let her suffer anymore in the rotten cellar. Lottie looked up at the man sending him a soft smile before tugging once more on the binds, feeling them come loose finally. She slumped forward, landing in a crumpled heap on the floor. Unconsciously she found herself moving towards the water before stopping and dragging herself to sit up.

"Time to untie you guys." She grinned tiredly. The adults looked at her hesitantly.

"No." Argent replied.

"What do you mean no? You guys need to get out of here. The rest of them will only be able to hold her off for so long. And I won't get there in time to help-"

"Lottie you can barely keep your head up." Melissa interrupted, smiling at the girl.

"But I can-"

"We aren't getting out of here without help." Argent replied, before understanding how his comment may have seemed offensive to the siren whose eyes flashed white at the idea of her not being able to help them escape. "I'm not doubting your abilities in the slightest, I'm just aware the moon is soon to hit its peak and you're already in a load of pain and gonna be in a whole load more if you don't get in that water now." He pointed out, looking over to the dank looking pool of water in the corner of the cellar.

"But if I untie you, you guys can get out of here-" Lottie argued as she made her way over to the hunter and rummaged in his jacket pockets.

"Jennifer won't be back in time." Argent argued, despite knowing Jennifer wouldn't need to be there to get the whole sacrifice started, but she'd need to be there to finish it. "Priority here is getting you in water, you'll be stronger then. Plus I'm ninety percent sure that that water is deep and leads out of here. You get out, you get us help so you can go after Jennifer and incapacitate her." Argent instructed, looking the girl in the eyes. He knew that if Lottie actually got to Jennifer, the young siren planned to do more than incapacitate the Darach.

"We all on board for me leaving you here tied up then?" Lottie asked, baffled at the plan but willing to go along with it if it's what Argent thought was best. Melissa and Stilinksi looked unsure however, knowing Lottie needed to get in the water now but also not loving leaving themselves defenceless.

"Look if Lottie can get out of here, she'd be our best bet at defeating Jennifer. Besides, if Jennifer comes back and Lottie is gone and we are all untied, we'll be killed slower, more painfully. I'd much rather it be quick, I have no weapons, we aren't getting out of here. Lottie is already weak due to how close the moon is to being full, she needs to be in water for at least an hour. " Argent pointed out.

Lottie had forgotten in her haste to escape that the moon was approaching its peak. At the realisation, the girl let out a groan in pain.

"Little Lotts!" Stilinski called out as she began to army crawl across the floor, the moon inching closer to its peak, she had about an hour till it hit, if that. As long as she was in the water for the very peak she'd be okay. She would end this. Tonight. "Get in the water now! NOW!"

"I'm okay." She grunted. "Wait till you see my tail." She joked before crawling head first into the water revelling in the relief the water brought her burning limbs.

Feeling the familiar sensation on her body fusing together, she quickly removed her clothes, letting her body do the rest. There was nothing quite like the feeling of transforming, it was a kind of good pain she couldn't quite describe. In this particular case though it felt as though every injury and slight pain was being cured. She felt reborn.

Lottie felt her claws unsheath and her fangs elongate as she swam around the surprisingly deep pool of water. Looking around she noticed there was a small tunnel to the bottom of the pool, she made a mental note of it and made her way back to the surface with her back to the adults in the cellar, keeping her body underwater, her head bobbing above the cool water.

"Now, when I turn around, try not to look too surprised, it's a bit of a shock to some." Lottie asked the trio and turning when she heard murmurs of agreement she turned. The faces of three shocked and awe-struck adults stared back at her. "Pretty cool right?" She grinned, flicking water at them with her tail.

"You look just like your mother." Stilinski mumbled with a fond smile on his face. Lottie looked back at him perplexed, she'd never been told that before. It left her with a lot to think about. "It's almost uncanny."

"Well, you'd know better than me." She grumbled lowly as the veins under her eyes flashed bright blue in response to her sudden glumness. Her mother was a mystery, one she wasn't sure she'd ever solve. But that was a problem for another night. "Now, you guys are stuck here. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. You're safe. That's all I could ask for." Stilinski replied, smiling and hoping his face showed how much he cared for her.

"This ends tonight."

✧༺♥༻✧

Derek entered his loft, stunned by the state it had been turned into as he watched his sister run to Lydia, wrapping a protective arm around the Banshee who sat shell-shocked whilst Boyd moved to stand over them protectively.

"You did this for me?" Derek asked Jennifer, playing into her game of theatrics.

"For us. For anyone who's ever been their victim." Jennifer placated, stepping closer to the man.

"Stop talking to me like a politician. Stop trying to convince me of your cause."

"Fine. I'll convince you of someone else's. Scott. You can save his mother. Stile's father. Even your Tiny." She knew she'd said the wrong thing when Derek growled and grabbed her by the throat, slamming her up against the wall.

"Don't you dare, even mention her. Not a word. If any harm has come to her, Deucalion will be the least of your worries." He hissed as he tightened his hold, before she grabbed his hands and threw him off of her.

"I need a Guardian. That's a role that can either be filled by the three parents I was forced to take or by you." Jennifer began to explain.

"I can't help you. I'm not even an Alpha anymore." Derek sighed, defeated.

"All I need is for you to help me get Deucalion in the right place at the right time." Jennifer continued, knowing she was breaking the man down.

Derek scoffed. "You just killed three of them on your own. What do you need me for?"

"You've never seen him at his strongest. I have. And if he's got Scott with him, I don't stand a chance. Unless I have you." Jennifer shrugged as if it was obvious.

Cora stood to her feet, throwing her arms out. "Derek, don't trust her. She's manipulating you! She has Lottie! She wants her dead. You can't really be falling for this?"

Jennifer rolled her shoulders in annoyance at the young girl's words. It was true. Charlotte Bailey was not going to survive the night regardless. "I have the eclipse in my favour. But the moon's only going to be in the Earth's umbral shadow for fifteen minutes. That's the extent of my window. There's no decision to struggle with. Help me kill him and the others live. Just help me."

"You swear Tiny will be okay? And the parents?" Derek asked, already knowing what he was going to do as he turned and nodded to Boyd who understood in that moment that his job was to stay with Lydia and Cora.

"I swear." As Derek nodded, Jennifer couldn't help but think how easy the people of Beacon Hills were to fool. If there was one person she wanted dead more than Deucalion- it was Lottie.

✧༺♥༻✧

"So you guys really want me to leave?" Lottie asked for the third time, she'd been dipping herself fully under water and resurfacing for the past ten minutes, anxiously waiting to see if anyone came to help the adults still locked up. She was kicking herself for not being able to fight the urge to get in the water longer so she could free them.

"Yes. For the third time. You're our best chances at getting rid of Jennifer and the longer you stay here the less likely we are to win. You said there was a small tunnel at the bottom of that pond thing you're in?" Argent asked, huffing in annoyance.

"Yeah. I don't know where it leads but if it gets me out of here I can help. I just don't want anything to happen to any of you. But I need to find-" She cut herself, unable to think about Stiles right now. She was worried about all of her friends but Stiles was practically defenceless aside from his wit, and wit wasn't going to save him this time.

Footsteps thudded above them and with a smirk Lottie turned to the adults, gesturing for them to cover their ears. When they complied, she began to let out her siren song, drawing whoever was above them to their location. Her shoulders sagged in relief when she saw Isaac and Allison enter the root cellar.

"Lotts!" Isaac cried out, running as fast as he could in his crouched position to her before diving onto his front and pulling her into his arms, not caring that he was getting wet. "You stupid, idiotic, self-sacrificing moron. I'm so glad you aren't dead, I'm going to kill you myself!"

"I'm glad to see you too, Big Bro." She replied, pulling back and cupping his face gently, turning to look at Allison untying the adults before turning back to Isaac. "You can tell me off later, God knows Stiles is gonna kill me anyway. There's a tunnel down here and I need to go through it, hoping it takes me to the lakes, then I can hopefully make it to the fight in time to finally put an end to this." She quickly explained as Isaac shook his head and raised into a crouch, not missing the look she sent him when she nodded to Stilinski - he was her priority and therefore Isaac's priority right now.

"Stay safe."

"Always." Lottie smirked, before smiling at Allison and turning on them, diving down into the pool of water she found herself in and making her way through the tunnel.

The water grew denser and murkier the further Lottie swam through the tunnel. It was overwhelmingly dark but not a problem for her, one of the many perks of being a siren. Her skin shimmered faintly with bioluminescent light, casting an ethereal glow on the walls of the tunnel.

Her body was tense as she swam, her mind racing as she pushed herself to swim faster. She didn't know where the tunnel was leading, only hoping it led her to the lakes, to Mayalila. The water pressed against her tightly, like it was trying to comfort her with its current, except in that moment, what normally would ease her thoughts, instead made her feel isolated - like she was drowning in her own mind.

And her thoughts were all focused on one boy. Stiles.

Images of his face flashed across her mind - his goofy, reassuring smile, the way his eyes always made her feel safe, calm her, to make her believe that no matter what, they'd be okay as long as they were together. Then images of his face beaten and bloody crossed across her vision. She knew Jennifer would hurt him to get to her. And with that thought in mind she pushed herself faster as light began to creep into the tunnel; wherever she was going, she was almost there.

The Beacon Hills lake was vast and deep, inviting as it always has been. Her sanctuary. Her safe haven. Lottie burst into it with a ferocity, her mind on finding one person, the only person that would be able to help her right now. As if she sensed Lottie's urgency, Mayalila swam up to the girl with a speed Lottie had never seen before. Seeing Lottie's worried expression, Mayalila cradled the teen in her arms as Lottie felt her defence crumble briefly.

"I'm sorry I haven't visited in so long. So much has happened. It's Jennifer Blake. She's the Darach." She'd only visited Mayalila briefly in the past few weeks and told her of a Darach making sacrifices. There was so much to tell now and so little time. "She's trying to gain more power, I don't know all the details, I've been tied up the last few hours when everything has been happening. She won't stop until she gets what she wants. I'm not letting her have it. I'm not letting her take anymore from any of us." Lottie explained as she pulled away from the woman and set her jaw.

"Speaking diplomatically here since I am sure what you're planning on doing. You must be sure. The path you're choosing, it is dangerous. Choices born out of anger or fear can be reckless. Revenge can be a heavy burden to carry. You need a plan." Gazing at Lottie, Mayalila rolled her shoulders back, placing a hand on Lottie's shoulder. "It need not be something you carry alone."

Lottie looked down at the floor of the lake, "I am going to kill her Mayalila. She's taken too much so I am going to take her life. I don't expect you to support this. I just need to know the best way to do it. The most painful too." Lottie replied, her tone strong, there was no changing her mind. 

Mayalia nodded comfortingly, smiling softly at the girl, "Then I will stand with you. Whatever comes next you will not face alone. You will make the final strike and I will be there with you the entire time."

"You'll be with me? You're going to leave the water? I can't ask that of you-"

"You aren't asking me Charlotte. I am offering. I swore that I'd protect you a long time ago. I'd not be fulfilling such a promise if I let you go alone. Even if it means I'm there, just to stand in the shadows. Now we have much to discuss. The eclipse is about to happen and we need to cover everything as quickly as possible. If Jennifer is doing what I think she is, she'll be heading to the Nemeton. We need to meet her there."

✧༺♥༻✧

In the old distillery, Scott stood tall with Deucalion, watching as dust swirled around his feet. A hazy silhouette approached the duo and as they came into focus, Scott felt his body halt in shock as the figure he once thought was one, split into two. Jennifer and Derek.

"What are you doing?" Scott asked, turning his attention to Derek.

Derek sighed, "This might be hard to believe, but I'm actually trying to help you."

"Like brother against brother. There's something very American about this." Deucalion hummed, amused. He collapsed his cane and began to remove his jacket, eager for a fight.

"Are you ready Jennifer?" He asked as his jacket fell to the ground, his voice became strangely demonic as he continued. "Did you gather your herbs? Pray to your ancient gods and your oak trees? Slit a baby's throat, perhaps?" He taunted.

Derek looked over to Jennifer, watching as her expression morphed into one of fear. She was terrified and it made Derek raise his guard. This wasn't going to be easy, but if it saved his Tiny, and her friends he'd do it. He'd do it twice if it meant she was safe.

"Should we show them why you needed to sacrifice nine innocent people just to face me? Or is it twelve now?" Deucalion finished his speech as his fangs extended over his darkening lips as he began to transform.

The colour of his skin fell to an ashen grey, his shirt tearing at the seams as his muscles ripped through the material. His eyes turned to a glowing scarlet red as he morphed into the Demon Wolf and let out a ground shaking roar and charged for the kill.

Roaring back, Derek, now transformed, met Deucalion's attack head on. It wasn't worth the effort as Deucalion was far too fast and far more powerful. Scott barely had time to react as Deucalion ripped into Derek, hurling him back into a wall.

Almost instantly, the Alpha put his hands on Jennifer, slamming her down to the ground. Blood spilled over the distillery as the sound of bones snapping echoed off the wall. He defeated them with shocking ease and efficiency. The pair of sinister red eyes fell to Scott.

"Kill her."

Scott was barely breathing as he watched Jennifer try and crawl over to Derek who still hasn't moved from his crumpled position on the floor.

"Do it." Deucalion pressured.

Scott hesitated. For too long in Deucalion's opinion and the Alpha let out a sudden roar in response. Scott's body responded to the echoing snarl by arcing up, head snapping back as his eyes surged yellow. His claws extended, he looked up in shock to find himself transformed by Deucalion's roar.

"Now kill her. Your parents are dying. Your best friend is dying. That storm you hear? She's burying them alive. It's her connection to the Telluric Currents. Kill her and it ends."

Scott clenched his jaw, feeling his fangs clash against one another as he peered down at his clawed hand. Then he refocused his gaze to Derek and Jennifer, both who were now trying to pick themselves up from the floor.

"It won't end. Not with me. He'll have you kill everyone you love. It's what he does." Jennifer grunted out hoarsely.

"They're dying, Scott. Your mother and the parents of your best friends. The girl you've known since you were in diapers. Kill her now and it's over. Become the Alpha you're meant to be. Become a killer." Deucalion pressured, his control slowly slipping as his true motives began to show.

"They're not dead yet." Scott grunted out as memories of previous conversations with Deaton flashed across his mind.

Deucalion growled, "And who's going to save them? Your friends?"

Scott shrugged, "My pack."

Deucalion charged towards the young teen, grabbing the back of his neck like a dog biting a puppy by the scruff of its neck. He gripped the boys wrist in his hand and dragged him over to Jennifer, intent on making Scott kill her with his claws. "Maybe you just need a little guidance."

None of them noticed that outside the doors the moon began to completely disappear under the Earth's shadow, blanketing the sky in a blue hue as the glow of the moon faded from view.

"I forgot to tell you something. Something Gerard told me a little while ago." Scott began as Deucalion paused his forceful walk, his grip still vice-like on the boy. He doesn't see Scott pulling something out of his left pocket. "One of the last things he said to me. 'Deucalion isn't always blind.'"

And with that he threw the flashbolts he'd taken from Argent's office, watching them hit the floor and explode. Bursts of light, lit up all around them. Deucalion, Derek and Scott were all blinded by the beams, none of them immune to the searing glare of the flashbolts. Deucalion released Scott as he tried to blink away the blinding lights. 

Time seemed to slow down, seconds crawling by at a painfully obtuse pace. Out of the haze of the glowing light, Scott realised that Deucalion's Demon Wolf form had disappeared and had returned to his human self.

"The eclipse..." Deucalion began, looking out to see the blood orange full moon covered by the Earth's shadow. "It's started."

✧༺♥༻✧

The root cellar was caving in. They all knew it. The three adults glanced between themselves before turning their attention to the two teens who were desperately trying to keep the ceiling of the root cellar upright. It was as if an earthquake had hit them, shattering the walls of the cellar and causing them to have less and less space to breathe.

The stairs ripped off the wall with a violent crack and landed in a heap of splintering wood and cracking stone. As the dust settled, the group looked to the entrance that was now blocked from the outside due to fallen branches and dirt steadily pouring in. The fear was palpable; as if it were strangling the five slowly. 

Isaac had been bearing most of the weight of beams previously but now, due to the eclipse, his power was stripped away from him and he began to buckle under the weight.

"I can't hold it- I can't do it. I-I-" Isaac grunted under the weight of it all. Stilinski rushed over as quickly as the small space allowed him too, bearing some of the weight on his shoulders, taking some of the struggle away from Isaac as Argent, Allison and Melissa followed swiftly behind him, the five of them now taking on the weight of the collapsing cellar.

"Push!" Melissa shouted, as if they were doing anything else but that, but she was just trying to boost morale.

"It's too heavy– it's too much!" Allison replied as they all began to crumble under the weight, about to be crushed to death by the beams.

Two feet hit the floor of the cellar as an aluminium bat was slid under the beam, stopping it from dropping another inch. In the nick of time, Stiles had somehow made it to the cellar, despite his car accident and saved the group with a smile.

"I told you aluminium was better than wood." Stilinski smiled, wrapping an arm around his son.

"Thanks dad. You can thank Lottie for this one. Speaking of, where is she?" He asked, feeling panic quickly make its way up his throat. He feared the worst, if she wasn't there, then Jennifer must have gotten her. He could feel his mind racing as his father placed a hand on his cheek.

"She got out. See that puddle over there?" Stilinski pointed over to the pond-like puddle they could barely see in the cramped room now. "She got out and swam away. After a bit of forcing. She didn't want to leave us but she knew she'd be more help with this Jennifer woman."

Stiles felt his body sag in relief briefly. She got out. But now she was going to fight Jennifer and he had to find her. Again. And just like that, his fear made a reappearance.

"Right, well we best get you out of here then. I have a girlfriend to find and murder." Stiles smiled sadly, nodding at Isaac who smiled back at him. "I need to find her. I need her. Safe."

✧༺♥༻✧

A now human Scott scoured the darkness with rising fear. The remaining werewolves also looked around the distillery, waiting for something. Anything. And then, Scott gaze was drawn to the terrifying form of Jennifer approaching in a tornado of dust, leaves and dirt.

"My turn." Jennifer growled in a guttural voice.

She launched towards Scott, sending him flying into a wall, smashing into steel and metal as a gasp escaped his lips. With unparalleled rage, the Darach dragged Deucalion up by his neck, twisting him around before crushing him down on the floor.

Despite being the Alpha of all Alpha's, Deucalion was reduced to only his human senses and he was missing one of them. He didn't stand a chance. With a hand on the back of his head, Jennifer slammed his head into the cement. Blood filled the cracks of the ground as Scott watched on, horrified as Jennifer nearly broke Deucalion into pieces.

"Jennifer." Derek called out, drawing Jennifer's attention to him. "He doesn't know."

"Know what?" She spat out.

Derek let his gaze soften. "What you really look like." He knew he was getting through to her as the rage disappeared momentarily.  "He knows the cost of bringing Kali into his pack. But he's never seen the price you paid."

Deucalion's blind eyes darted around the room in fear, not knowing what was coming, only able to lay and wait.

"No... No he hasn't." Jennifer smiled in a disconcerting manner. She slowly placed her pale hand on Deucalion's face, covering his unseeing eyes. The process was excruciating, as made evident when Deucalion screamed out in agony before Jennifer released him, sending him staggering back.

"Turn to me." Jennifer demanded. Deucalion slowly pushed himself up, opening his now healed eyes to see Scott laying by his side, watching on in horror. "TURN TO ME!"

Deucalion turned to look back at the Darach's horrifically scarred face. The vacant eyes. The decaying rotten teeth. The mauled, exposed muscle. He was horrified but not unsurprised, he knew how lethal Kali was. The moment he blinked, Jennifer had returned back to her human self.

Breathing hard, she started forward to finish the job and kill him. But she faltered, looking as if she was about to fall. Derek placed a hand on her back, steadying her with a smug yet glum look on his face.

"Healing him made you weak. Just like healing Cora did to me. You won't have your strength for at least a few minutes." He informed, speaking softly to placate her.

"Then you do it. Kill him."

Derek shook his head, refusing. "Like my mother used to say, I'm a predator. I don't have to be a killer." He grabbed the woman by her throat, overpowering her even as a human as she struggled to free herself. "But I will if it saves their lives. Let them go."

Jennifer, in her fury, picked him up off his feet before spinning them around and slamming him into the wall. Somehow though, he managed to maintain his vice-like grip on the woman. Jennifer cracked his head against the wall, again and again and again. Still he endured. She was enraged by his brutal betrayal and cracked his head against the wall once more, except this time it was like flipping a switch, because when he turned to face her, his eyes glowed a luminescent blue.

Behind Derek, Scott stands to his feet, his own eyes glowing a vibrant yellow as he let an ominous growl escape his lips.

"Your fifteen minutes are up." Derek grumbled, shoving the woman back and sending her back to the ground. She scrambled to her feet, trying to defend herself as Derek and Scott closed in on her.

Desperate, Jennifer did the only thing she could think of and released a handful of mountain ash into the air, allowing it to fall into a perfect circle around her. Scott slammed to a halt as he hit the barrier and a translucent ripple appeared briefly around her.

"Like I told you, Derek. Either you or the parents. And I guess I'll just have to take them. A few more minutes, they'll be dead and I won't need a lunar eclipse. Not even to kill a Demon-Wolf." Jennifer smiled, she had faith yet. She turned to Scott, watching curiously as he pulled himself up to approach the barrier. "You've tried this before Scott. I don't remember you having much success." She mocked, shaking her head.

Scott held his hands up against the barrier, attempting to breach it. Wind whipped past him as he pushed forward, biting back the pain as he persevered. The more he pushed on, the more his yellow eyes faded and morphed. Derek, Deucalion and an equally shocked Jennifer watched as the boy's eyes filled with sparks of orange before darkening into a fiercely vibrant red. With a last heave of monumental effort, Scott stepped through the line protection as the mountain ash barrier burst up into a cloud around Jennifer.

"How--how did you do that?" She croaked out as she staggered back.

"I'm an Alpha now." Scott growled, his voice containing an otherworldly grumble, his new power evident. "Whatever you're doing to cause the storm, make it stop or I'll kill you myself. And I don't care what it does to the colour of my eyes."

"It won't change the colour of mine. So allow me." Deucalion cut off any response Jennifer could give off, and charged towards the woman slashing her throat with his claws. Jennifer's hands rose to her bloodied neck as she began to fall. As she fell, her body flashed between her human form and her Darach form until she hit the floor in a heap.

The trio watched on, staring at the woman's body, a feeling slightly underwhelmed by the situation. It ended so abruptly. Instantly, Scott snapped out of it and pulled out his phone, dialling Stiles.

"Hey, you okay?" Scott asked as the boy picked up.

"Yeah, we're okay. You okay?" Stiles replied.

Scott looked at a bloodied but very much alive Derek and nodded. "Yeah. Sort of. You think you can come and pick us up?"

"Yeah. Of course. Is Lotts with you?" Stiles asked, the worry in his voice tangible.

"No? I thought she was with you?" Scott asked, concerned as Derek felt the hair on his neck stand on its end.

"No. I'm gonna head to the lakes. She swam out of a tunnel that we think leads there. Isaac will pick you up." Stiles replied, hanging up abruptly with one thing on his mind.

Outside the doors of the distillery, Deucalion turned to face Scott and Derek with his newfound sight.

"My mother told me you were a man of vision once. We're letting you go because we hope you can be that man again." Derek began his warning.

"But if you're not, having your eyes back won't matter..." Scott continued before turning back to Derek, letting their eyes glow.

"Because you won't see us coming." And with that the duo turned their backs on the Alpha leaving him with his eyes restored in the very same place they were once lost. 

✧༺♥༻✧

The woods were eerily silent as the moon shone, casting shadows that had Jennifer looking over her shoulder every three seconds. Her breathing was laboured as she crawled towards the Nemeton, reaching her hands out to grasp the stumps' roots.

"Just... a little... further-" She whispered hoarsely.

But then her hand froze mid-air. Her eyes widened in a mix of surprise and fear as she noticed a pair of boots dangling before her. She dragged her gaze upwards and felt her heart drop. Perched on the Nemeton, sitting confidently, was Lottie, her eyes were glowing with fury and a dangerous smirk was plastered across her lips.

"Look at you. The mighty Darach, reduced to crawling in the dirt like a wounded animal. Kind of poetic, don't you think? All the lives you've taken, the people you've hurt... this is what you've become. Pathetic." Lottie spat and she leaned down to meet Jennifer's gaze.

The woman wheezed audibly, blood dripping from her mouth as she struggled to lift her head simply to glare at the teenager. Her voice was weak but she still found the strength to spit venom at the teenager.

"You think this is over? You don't understand what you're dealing with. Your power? It'll destroy you and everyone around you. You're a ticking time bomb. You don't need me to ruin your friend's lives. You're going to do that all by yourself."

"Oh sweetie, your words are wasted on me. They simply go in one ear and out the other. Your words have no power anymore, just like you." Lottie hopped down from the Nemeton, her feet firmly landing on the roots of the ancient tree as Jennifer looked up at her, fear written across her features.

"You think you're so different from me. But you're not. Power like yours... it changes you. Warps you. Eventually you lose everything. You'll ruin everything... including him." Jennifer finished with a smirk, despite the effort it took her, she found her entry, now all she needed was to exploit that.

"Stiles. He's the one you care about the most, isn't he? You think you're protecting him, but you're not. Your power? It'll destroy him. It'll destroy you. And when he sees you for what you are, he'll leave you. Just like everybody else."

Lottie's breath caught in her throat, her heart skipping a beat. For a brief moment, Jennifer's words hit their mark. She could see Stiles in her mind, his face– the love and belief in his eyes. But then she saw something darker: fear. Disgust. The thought that maybe, just maybe, Jennifer is right terrified her more than anything else.

Her hands clenched tightly into fists, her knuckles turning white as she fought against the creeping fear. Lottie knew Stiles better than anyone. He'd seen the worst parts of her and he still stood by her side. He won't leave. He won't. She repeated it like a mantra in her head over and over.

"You don't know anything about Stiles. He is stronger than any of us. I'm not a monster hiding behind a mediocre face like you Jennifer. I don't destroy the people I care about. I protect them. And you? You've threatened them. So do you know what that means for you?" Lottie asked, leaning over the woman who had begun to try and crawl backwards, sensing the shift in Lottie's demeanour.

"You-you'll regret this."

"Trust me when I say. Nothing will make me happier." Lottie smiled happily, sending shivers up Jennifer's spine. Lottie was too calm and happy. It was terrifying.

Lottie held out a hand in Jennifer's direction with that same elated smile on her face.

"It's a funny thing. My power. Turns out I really can control water in all forms. Including the water inside the human body. Tell me, in all your years of murdering, have you ever boiled someone alive?" Jennifer gasped as she felt pain but couldn't identify where it came from. "No? Well I guess there's always a first." Lottie grinned as she began to focus all her energy and her powers on the water in Jennifer's body.

Jennifer began to cough and convulse as Lottie began to heat up the water inside her body. Steam steadily rose from Jennifer's skin as her blood started to boil, her organs cooking from the inside out. She let out an ear-piercing scream as her flesh began to split and crack as the blood evaporated into thick mist.

Lottie watched without mercy, her fist tightening as she honed her power and upped the ante, not blinking as Jennifer's body began to jerk and spasm uncontrollably.

The Darach's skin bubbled and finally burst as her veins ruptured under the pressure. Her mouth opened in a silent scream before her body jerked one final time before a snap echoed amongst the tree's. Jennifer lay still as her eye's stared blankly, lifelessly looking up at the sky.

Lottie unclenched her hands, feeling a strange surge of power thrum through her veins, a sensation she couldn't quite identify.

Little did she know that feeling was the Nemeton's power, feeding into her as she stood amongst its roots. She'd sacrificed one of the most powerful being's whilst standing in its roots. There were certain consequences of such actions. She shook off the feeling, her mind immediately focusing on Stiles. She had to get to him.

Mayalila stepped forward from her place in the shadows, still a little unsure on her legs after being in the water for so long. A soft smile on her face as she approached Lottie, a glint in her eye that implied she knew exactly what Lottie had done by committing a sacrifice on the Nemetons' roots.

Placing a hand on Lottie's shoulder, she spoke softly, "It is done. You did amazingly. You controlled your rage. Refused to let her play mind games with you. I am proud of you." She cupped the girl's cheek. "But, be careful Charlotte. Power can be dangerous, even when it's used with good intentions."

Lottie nodded, her anger slowly faded as the reality of what she'd done hit her. But there was no regret in her eyes– no; there was only relief. She turned to Mayalila, her voice steady.

"Thank you. Thank you for staying with me. Just knowing you were here was a comfort. I cannot repay you." Lottie smiled, bringing the older woman into a hug. "Let's get out of here. I need my Stiles and you need to get those legs back into water." She winked teasingly.

"I do indeed. I must say, I much prefer the water. Let's dispose of that thing first." Mayalila raised a hand, drawing water from the soil as Lottie watched the water lift Jennifer's body into the air. "We will take her to the lakes. She will never return from the lakes. Her blood will never taint this land again." Mayalila smiled at her protege and together they made their way back to the lakes, finished with the fight. Lottie could feel the weight lifting off her shoulders with every step. Now all she needed was Stiles. She wasn't sure she could wait for him much longer.

✧༺♥༻✧

The wind howled through the thick branches of the woods but Stiles didn't stop. His feet slammed onto the muddy, uneven terrain as the trees blurred together. He ignored the stinging sensation of the branches scratching his face as he began to call out for his future.

"Lottie! LOTTIE!" He bellowed out. His voice echoed through the woods but there was no answer. The sound of his own heartbeat drowned out the creaking of trees and howl of the wind.

His mind could only focus on one word. Lottie. He had to find her. Finally he burst through the treeline and stumbled into the clearing by the lake, running to the edge of the jetty that stood in the water.

Stiles knelt down, his voice hoarse, "Lottie! Please, answer me!" He knew she'd be okay. She had to be. But the longer he went without seeing her, the more irrational he became. Nobody had heard from her since she left the cellar and nobody had seen her. He was terrified Jennifer had gotten to her. His call was met with silence.

Without thinking, he stripped himself of his shoes and his jacket and dived head first into the lake, his body cutting through the icy water. The cold shock stole his breath but he forced himself to keep moving, swimming deeper into the dark water. He searched wildly, his hands pushing through the water as he tried to find her. Every moment felt like an eternity as the cold and the panic closed in on him. For a moment he felt like the darkness was going to swallow him whole but then- there was a touch. Gentle but firm. Before he could react, strong arms wrapped themselves around him and began pulling him up with a burst of strength. Together they broke through the icy surface with a gasp.

"Stiles!" Lottie gasped as she crashed into him, pulling him into a tight embrace. Their bodies collided as water splashed around them. For a moment, nothing else existed but the feeling of her arms wrapped around him and the steady beat of her heart pressed against his chest. And then she kissed him- desperately and passionately, full of the fear and love that had been building up inside of her for the past twenty-four hours. Stiles responded immediately, his hands tangling themselves in her wet hair as he pulled her infinitely closer, clinging to her as if she were his oxygen.

When they finally pulled apart, they rested their foreheads on one another's as they tried to catch their breath. Stiles' voice was still raw, half from the effort of screaming her name and half from the overwhelming emotions that crashed through him.

"You are the most infuriatingly stubborn woman I know. You- you could have been killed!" He stuttered, frustrated. "You just left, with Argent?! You can't just... sacrifice yourself like that! Do you have any idea how worried I have been?"

Lottie's lips twitched with hints of the faintest smile at her boyfriend's frantic worry. She brushed a hand through his soaked hair, her touch soothing him before she even spoke.

"Stiles, I had a plan. Albeit not the most stable one, but a plan nonetheless. She had your father. Scott's mum. I couldn't just let them die. I had to help and I saw an opportunity and I took it. I should've at least told you and for that I am sorry but I am not sorry for what I did."

Stiles shook his head, gripping her tightly as if she may disappear again if he let go. "And what about me, Lottie? We've had this conversation before. What do you think would happen to me if you didn't come back? How could I live with that? How could I live without you? You think saving everyone is your job but it just throws you in the fire. I can't lose you. I won't lose you."

"I'm sorry Stiles." Lottie replied quietly as his words hit her hard and heavy.

"As much as I hope there isn't a next time, I know it isn't realistic. So next time, just tell me. Don't scare me like that. I'm serious. I don't know what I'd do without you Lotts. You are everything to me."

Lottie's heart swelled as she forgot Jennifer's words from earlier leaning in and kissing him again, this time softer and full of reassurance. As the two remained in each other's grip, Lottie sensed they were no longer alone and pulled away smiling as she turned to look over her shoulder. Mayalila had broken the surface.

As much as the older woman wanted to let them have their moment, she was far too eager to see the boy that captured her friend's heart. She glanced at Stiles, who looked at her in muted wonder, and smiled kindly, knowing how much he meant to Lottie and how much he cared for her.

Stiles, who was still treading water, held a hand up and waved awkwardly at the woman who simply nodded in his direction, preferring to keep her words to herself unless in familiar company. He nodded back politely, a smile on his face. Lottie looked between the two and turned back to Mayalila, mouthing a quick 'thank you' to the woman before watching her dive back underwater.

"No wonder you wanna hang out with her all the time, she seems pretty cool, bit quiet and mysterious but cool." Stiles teased as Lottie began to drag him back to the jetty.

"Of course I do. She's a siren! I've heard they're pretty rare." She winked back at him as she watched him climb out the water and head over to the alcove which held her spare clothes.

"That they are." He muttered, his heart feeling warm. "Now let's get out of here. You have about four people who need to tell you off and then we are watching every single Lord of the Rings film and not leaving bed for three days." Lottie could only beam at him, feeling whole once more.

✧༺♥༻✧

Derek stood in the middle of his loft with a bag slung over his shoulder. Cora and Boyd had already made their way to the car outside but he stood with his thoughts for a moment. Of course he should have realised that the peace would be interrupted.

"You weren't really thinking you could leave without saying goodbye now were you Toto?" Lottie asked as he turned to face her. She looked at him with tear-filled eyes as she moved off the doorframe she was leaning on.

"I was hoping to skip the tears to be honest." Derek sighed as he made his way over to the girl.

Lottie chuckled sadly, "As if I'd let you leave me without making you suffer first." She wrapped her arms around him as he lifted her feet off the ground and held her.

There was a bond between Derek and Lottie that was unexplainable. It was as if the two were a safe place or an anchor for each other, they always had each other's backs, despite the rocky start and hurdles they'd been thrown, they always cared for one another. They truly were like siblings, Lottie laughed to herself at the thought.

"You're not supposed to be laughing. I'm leaving. You're supposed to be devastatingly sad." Derek teased as he placed her back on the ground.

"I was just thinking about how, growing up I always wanted a sibling and somehow in the past year I've gained not only one, but two brothers. I'm just telling myself that you're off to college so it doesn't feel so permanent." She grinned up at him.

Derek paused, his chest aching with fondness as he looked at his Tiny. "As if I would ever leave you permanently. I'll text and call you. I promise."

"Do you also promise you won't ever forget me?" She teased. "If you do, I'll be so annoying and send things to your house and spam your voicemail. You'll never escape me." She laughed.

Derek joined her in her laughter. "I'll never forget you Tiny. Never." He replied as he hugged her once more and the two left the building to walk to his car.

If only he knew what was to come next.