Anna sat at the edge of her bed, a singular knee propping up her chin as she clung tightly to Tutu, her teddy bear. It'd been a few days since the fight in the ice rink with Derek and his pack, since the last time she saw Isaac. Tallula had restricted her from going back to school, insisting that if she were to heal properly, she couldn't involve herself in anymore 'funny business'.

Since then, Anna had been living off of binge watching TV and studying all of her notes (thank you, Lydia) like a maniac, the fear of failing any tests when she got back making her stomach tickle with worry. Sure, that probably made her sound like an extravagant nerd, but in all aspects of it, she kinda was. Being completely separated from the rest of civilization made the witch want to claw her eyes out, because in her opinion, being stuck with her over-tending sister and usually-high-on-crack brother for more than most hours of the day was not something she considered to be fun. The only other outside communications mostly consisted of a few daily texts or calls from Scott or Stiles to check in or add new information concerning their current problem of the newly found Hale pack.

Lifting herself carefully off of the bed, Anna made her way to her bathroom, letting her hand fall to the metal knob of her sink. With a twist, a steady stream of cold water began to fall from the faucet, bubbles sprouting from it as it hit the white porcelain of the surface. The brunette let her fingers touch the liquid, instantly joining together as they mingled as one. Lowering her head, Anna washed the water along her face, hoping to cleanse the harsh look her appearance took on. Recently, as she overstayed her time in isolation, her hair became knotted and straggly, as she gave up on brushing it, instead putting it up into a bun or something along those lines. The lack of sleep she very much needed but still was not getting had begun to paint her under eyes with a light purple, bags beginning to appear. If someone were to stop and get a look at her, they'd probably ask if everything was okay at home.

A beep on her phone made Anna squint as she looked up and onto the counter next to her, blinking the water droplets out of her eyes. Sauntering over to the device, she tapped the screen to reveal a message from Scott:

Come outside, something's going on. Need your help.

With a sigh, Anna grabbed a towel and dried off her face. She shut her phone off, shoving it in the pocket of her jeans before grabbing a zip up sweater and throwing it over her tank top. She ran over to her window, unlocking it and tugging it open until a few footsteps down the hall caught her attention.

With narrowed eyes, Anna swished her wrist, shutting the door and locking it before picking up Tutu from her bed.

"Secuturum." Anna said quietly before she whispered a few sentences into the ear of the bear. 

Snuggling the stuffed animal between two pillows, Anna slipped out of her window, closing it tightly before she began her descend down the outside of her house and into Scott's car.

Strangely, she had a feeling this wouldn't be the weirdest thing she'd be doing in her near future.

"You okay?" Scott asked Stiles as he climbed into the car. Anna currently sat in the backseat, knees cuddled into her chest as she examined the view around her and her two friends. She was at the car service in town, multiple police cars and flashing lights lit up the night, casting a purple glow onto the scenery. Apparently, an attack was made, but details remained ever so indefinite as the Buzzcut Boy just showed up to provide specifics.

Stiles let out a breath before nodding. "Yeah."

"What happened in there?" Anna questioned. "Did somebody die?"

"Yes," The short haired boy replied. "And, Scott, you were right, it wasn't like you. Not a wolf."

Anna's eyebrows furrowed. "What are you guys talking about?"

Scott turned around in his seat to face her. "This isn't our first encounter with this thing. I saw it too, on the night of the full moon. It was at Isaac's house."

"What? And neither of you thought it would be a good idea to tell me?" Anna scoffed.

"I guess we sorta got sidetracked." Scott said meekly.

"Hello? Back to the important stuff here. This thing's eyes were almost, like, reptilian. But there was something about 'em." Stiles cut in.

"What do you mean?" The wolf shifted uncomfortably.

"Do you guys know when you see, like, a friend in a Halloween mask, but all you can actually see are their eyes? And you feel like you know them, but you just can't figure out who it is?"

"Are you saying you know who it is?" Scott said.

"No," Stiles whispered.

"What if it's the other way around?" Anna asked, voice dangerously low. "What if it-"

"Knew me?" Stiles turned around to face her, the soft pattern of the rain made artistic lines dance across his face. "Yeah, I think it did."

A chill went through Anna's body, starting at the back of her neck and traveling all the way to the pit of her stomach.

"Do you have any idea what this is?" Scott asked her.

"There could be a thousand things." Anna said carefully. "But I wouldn't be able to figure out what this exact thing is until I got a good look at it." 

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?" Stiles snapped.

Anna's stare instantly perked up from the floor of the car- where it was- to Stiles' extremely judgemental face. His eyebrows arched upwards while his mouth remained agape. His fingers grew white as he gripped the dashboard, nearly sawing five holes into it. The sight was practically laughable, and maybe Anna would've let a giggle slip if the situation wasn't so dire.

"I'm sorry?"

"You want to see that thing? Up-close? In person?" He deadpanned.

"Well, it's not exactly on my bucket list, but if there's a clear threat here that's already begun it's attack, I think it'd be a wise idea to try and see what we're dealing with. And if I know what it is, then there's a possibility we could take it down before more people get killed." Anna retorted.

"Yeah, that's a long shot. Even for you, Miss Wicked Witch of the West." Stiles rolled his eyes.

"Or we could feed you to it next." Anna shrugged.

"Alright!" Scott yelled from his spot in the driver's seat. "Enough, you two, I'm pretty sure we can handle this without arguing right?"

Anna and Stiles remained quiet, the only thing being heard was the soft huff escaping the brown eyed boy's lips. The young girl in the backseat brought her thumb up to her teeth as she nibbled on her nail, her nose twitching slightly as she avoided both teenager's gazes.

Scott sighed. "Stiles, was there anything else you saw?"

"Not much," The boy shook his head. "The eyes was the only thing I could focus on, they were just so... captivating, you know?"

Anna nodded as her mind began to bury itself in a suffocating pile of thoughts. "I highly doubt that was the last time we're gonna cross paths with it again, too."

"That's right," Scott nodded before looking down at his watch. "We should really get home, though, it's getting kind of late. We can meet up tomorrow, talk about it more."

"Actually, if you find anything else out, call me, okay?" The brunette girl said. "I think I'm going to look more into this now, I have time to spare." 

"What time do you have to spare at nearly ten o'clock on a school night?" Stiles spat.

"Enough. Tutu's taking care of it, Scott, would you mind dropping me off at Deaton's?" 

"Who the fuck is Tutu?"

"My bear. Now let's go, key in the engine."

"You own a bear?"

"He's a stuffed bear, Jeep Brain."

"A stuffed bear is your time manager?"

"Magic, you dimwit! Now come on, the faster you get me there, the more information I can get you two tomorrow. I don't have all day for this." Anna snapped.

"It's actually night, and you said you had time to spare," Stiles muttered. "But come on, Scott, let's drop Witch Bitch off before we turn into toads."

"Deaton?" Anna called out.

The screech of Scott's wheels echoed from outside, but apart from that and the pattering of the rain, no sound was to be heard.

"Are you here? I have a question to ask you." Anna's voice faltered as she looked around. Her gaze landed on a stack of papers on the counter.

With a hardened look plastered on her face, the witch took a few careful steps towards it. Moving the top one to the side a bit, the words from underneath began to reveal themselves.

Multiple found dead along the tree line in North Carolina, no physical wounds or injuries appear on the bodies. Handwritten note found in the hands of one of the supposed victims, reading-

"Anna." 

The girl jumped, the crackle of lightning outside sounded as a gasp left her lips, the sight of the man in front of her nearly making her heart stop as she fought to catch her breath. The vet stood statue still, silently, as if he had been there all along. For certain, Anna had definitely not heard him enter the room what she assumed was a few seconds ago.

"Deaton, I- I didn't know if you were here..." Anna's voice  began to trail off.

"No worries, I am now. What brings you here tonight? The storm outside is awful." The older man remarked, slowly sliding the paper's from the younger girl's view.

Suddenly, Anna didn't feel so safe. The saliva in her mouth turned to water and her heart began to pound under the doctor's threatening gaze. The time around her seemed to slow, the air turning into a thick jelly, solidifying her body into a part of scenery as was everything else in the small building. In an instant, the witch was very aware of the shelves housing plants on the walls, the clock that was hung near the ceiling, the tiles of the floors that glinted against the moon, and even the cracks on the desk right next to her. They seemed to now be speaking out to her like she had never noticed them before, and she felt that it was because very, very soon, she would be stuck there with them.

"I just wanted to know if you've been hearing about what's going on." Anna tried to keep her voice steady, but it almost came out in a whisper.

"Many things are going on." Deaton's lips turned into a thin, hard smile, his eyes wandering across Anna's face, almost seeming like he was drinking in her fear, enjoying it.

No lights were on. The winds outside seemed to pick up. Raindrops pelted the windows so hard Anna was afraid they might shatter. But no sound inside.

Not even the animals in the back.

It was quiet, almost too quiet, and Anna couldn't help but swallow. She opened her mouth to say something, but her throat began to tickle and close up. A smile cracked onto her face as she forced a fake, dry, laugh to come out.

"Of course. That was stupid of me, to be so vague, wasn't it?" She covered up quickly.

"Stupid isn't a word I would use to describe you, Anna-Marie." Deaton said calmly. His voice was monotone, and he wasn't moving. He just stood there, watching her with a posture almost too still as he awaited her reaction.

Anna's body began to stiffen, no one ever called her that, not unless she was in trouble or speaking to someone of much higher respect than herself. Not unless...

"You know what? It's getting really late now, I should've known better than to disturb you, I'll just come back tomorrow." Anna's feet shuffled backwards as she reached for the door.

"If you insist." Deaton smiled. "You have yourself a nice night, Anna."

The younger girl couldn't even form the words that wanted to come out of her mouth, she simply nodded, a weak grin trying to hold itself up on her face as she stumbled out of the vet, her legs moving on autopilot as she ran through the harsh wind and rain.

Her lungs were turning icy and her feet were running in soaking wet shoes, her eyes were blinded by the precipitation falling from the sky and frankly, she had no idea where she was.

Coming to a stop, Anna fell forward, catching herself with her hands on her knees as air struggled to travel back and forth through her lungs. Desperately pulling her phone out of her pocket, Anna tried to pull up her contacts list to call someone- anyone- to pick her up, anyone at all. Cato, who'd probably be the easiest on her, or Tallula, or hell, even Scott or Stiles, but no service connected. The harsh weather fractured the power lines, and it didn't help that she was in the middle of town, most likely nowhere close to someplace with good cell service.

Anna took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. If it came to it, she could probably find some broken down car or alleyway to stay in for the night, use magic to keep herself warm and from getting sick, but the image of Deaton as she had just seen him playing back in her mind made her tip overboard.

Air began a traffic jam in her throat as she tried to breathe. She opened her mouth wider, sucking in gulps as roughly as she could, but only a few spurts managed to travel down into her body. She fell to her knees, her already soaked body becoming even more drenched in a puddle. She looked around desperately, but not a single person was in sight. No cars. No lights in the windows. Just her.

"It's okay." She whispered. She couldn't even hear herself over the roar of the rain, but to feel the words on her lips was all that mattered. "You're okay. Just breathe. Please breathe."

Anna refused to let herself cry. She'd been doing that too often lately. Pathetic tears that would make their way to her eyes because she told herself she had a reason to, but really, she was just trying to find an outlet. Truly, though, as much as she wanted it, that could easily get her killed.

Now more than ever in a situation like this, where the power lines were out and she was lost, a murderous creature on the loose while the man she knew as second family stared at her with eyes that weren't his, spoke to her with words he never said.

No tears came to her eyes, but no thoughts came to her brain either. If only she had some sort of person with her, some sort of any living thing, maybe she could function, but she was alone, and that made her panic.

"Please, please, please." Anna's head hung low as her eyes shut tightly, hands covering her ears as she cowered into a ball.

You're being weak. She thought.

Yes, she was, but she was afraid. Afraid of what she just witnessed, of being abandoned on the streets with no one to speak her into sucking it up and doing something.

All you need to do is stand up and walk home. Her mind spoke.

But I don't know where I am.

Then find out.

How?

Just do it.

Anna slowly took her hands off her ears, her eyes opening every so slightly to reveal themselves to the wet ground below her. Getting to her feet and looking around, she held her hand out, light beginning to emit from the source. She could barely see, but it was more than before.

Just as she was about to take a few steps forward, a swift movement came from the corner of her eye. 

Whipping her head around, Anna shone her light ahead of her, breath instantly getting caught in her throat again. The movement came again, this time from her other side- but she heard it as well. 

Turning once again to find the culprit, Anna's eyes began to narrow. "Who's there?" 

Panic had crept its way back up her body, making her look like a fool as she spun around with her hand out, trying fruitlessly to see who was there. Her free hand reached for her knife that was stuck in her belt loop, instantly pulling it out in a firm clutch as she readied herself in a position to fight. 

Breathing becoming untimely again, Anna felt another panic attack begin to swell in her chest. Gasping for air, her hand clutched at her body, crying out in pain when the light burned her skin.

You idiot, she scolded herself. That was your fault.

But Anna couldn't focus on her shaming herself when suddenly her vision began to swim, her brain began to go fuzzy and the dizziness in her mind started making her stumble.

Whatever it was she'd been watching for began to approach her, but Anna didn't feel any fear anymore, and she certainly didn't have the willpower to fight back if she had to.

As the guilty party was then right in front of her, Anna could make them out as a person, their arms began to take her into their wrath. A red shirt covered the individual, the warm and drier cloth was almost like laying on slumber itself. Looking up with the little strength she had left, she stared into the face of the person who's name just faintly left her lips, before she'd succumbed to the darkness crawling at her.

The smell of dust and woolly blankets rose up and into Anna's nose, her eyelids still heavy with fatigue. Her ears felt clogged, as if she could hear through a faint daze, like a heavy solid wall was between her and the rest of reality. The sound of what appeared to be fighting and training going on in the distance.

A soft groan escaped her lips as a burning heat began to nest in her still healing ribs. Her eyes fluttered open, her sight completely blurred over. Her hand ran over the hard surface of what seemed to be plastic seats beneath her in hopes of finding her knife, but to no avail. She tried to lift her head off of the seemingly pillow it rested on, but it was like a thousand bricks were planted in her brain.

She couldn't open her eyes, she couldn't pick her head up, she couldn't even find her knife. Great.

"Seems like our little princess is awake." A bratty, high voice wafted into Anna's ears like little bits of the sounds were coming in piece by piece in little bubbles.

Footsteps approached, and Anna forced her body to be on alert. She inhaled a sharp breath as her skull felt like it cracked in two. A dull ache ran across the top of her head like a breath of fresh air that teased the fire in her ribs.

"Anna?" A familiar voice was suddenly crouched down next to her, adjusting to their new low position as the came face to face with her.

Propped up on two elbows, Anna lifted her heavy head, eyes now half open, entering the light of the new morning. Wherever she was, she must've been there all night.

"How do you feel? Do you feel sick, hurt?" The voice kept pressuring her, making her ears begin to ring in a continuous, monotone, pattern.

"Shut up." She whispered as she sat up fully, a large but warm hand was placed on her back and she took a deep breath. The feeling of completely filled lungs felt like the sweetest treat she'd experienced in a long time.

With a few more relieved breaths, Anna shifted her gaze around. The yellow sunlight lit the large space she was in, which happened to be a bus, obvious by the abundant amount of seats and poles that lined the space. Outside, multiple more buses littered the ground as old junk and unused items slept off to the sides. 

Instantly, Anna woke to her full consciousness. This was the place from her dream, the one of Isaac that had told her he had submissively became Derek's beta, which meaning the person next to her was...

"Isaac?" Anna's head turned around to meet his worried gaze.

"Are you okay? How do you feel?" He asked again. He wore the same red shirt she had seen before she passed out last night, and his hair was frizzy as it had dried messily from the rain.

"I feel fine." She lied. She looked around once more, desperate to find her knife. "Where is it?"

Isaac's eyebrows furrowed. "Where is what?"

"My knife." Anna's voice was laced with annoyance as she stared up at him through sleep clouded eyes. It came to her attention she probably looked like a mess right now, but Isaac payed no mind. He simply opened his mouth and looked around, clueless.

"Forget it. How did I get here?" Anna asked instead.

"You were lost, caught in the rain last night." Isaac's attention turned back to her. "I found you and brought you back here, figured it be safer than trying to get you back home."

"Where is 'here'?"

"That's... a little bit of a tricky question to answer right now." The blue eyed boy said carefully.

Anna paused, staring it him. Just like the night she last saw him, no signs of arrogance or smugness were sewn into his features, just something along the lines of guilt, or concern. The last time she saw him, he was worried about her injuries, which by the way, still remained, and ached insanely.

The reminder of the last time she saw him made her face burn, and she turned her head away. "Whatever. I don't care. I need to get home, what time is it?"

"It's about ten thirty, and I can't let you leave yet." Isaac's casual voice made Anna's body turn to him at lightning speed.

The fresh wave of pain that overtook her worn out body caught her by surprise, and a sharp inhale could be heard echoing throughout the large space.

"Careful." Isaac's hands instantly re-supported her body, his facial features painted by a new brush of worry.

"I said I'm fine." Anna closed her eyes for just a moment, recollecting herself. "Just let me go."

"You're not a prisoner, Anna." The hurt tone in Isaac's voice made the witch's eyes reopen as she looked up at him. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

Anna's lips stayed sealed as she watched him carefully. He didn't seem to be up to anything strange or unusual, but the fact she'd even considered that to be an option with him made her heart ache. Her insides softened to jelly as she listened to his broken voice speak to her, and though she could've probably made it home just fine- besides a few aches and cramps here or there- she realized protesting would only affect him more. After all, he did save her, bring her back to wherever he was staying, and check up on her the minute she was aware of her conscious.

"Alright." She said quietly, her head nodded as he swallowed, repeating the action.

"Where does it hurt?" He asked.

"Nothing hurts."

"Anna."

"I'm fine, I told you."

"Anna." 

Isaac's voice was exasperated as his eyes stared at her pleadingly. "I'm not blind, I can see that something's wrong, okay? So just do me a favor and tell me. Please."

Anna stared at him, and for a while, that was all she did. The strong blue hues that resided in the eyes that witheld so many new secrets and layers of depth, the plain of structure in which built his nose, the soft pinkened plush of his lips that seemed to open ever so slightly, inviting her in to brush them with her own. Her eyes closed, and her brain hurt. No matter how hard and long she tried for, she couldn't figure out the exact reason as to why she felt it to be so difficult to open up to him.

The small feeling of touch awakened her senses, as Isaac's fingers trailed along the field of skin that covered her body. A path of goosebumps arose in his wake, and Anna stayed terribly motionless. The tips of his appendages searched along her shoulder for any signs of injury, but there appeared to be none. It was only when his hand reached her spine, did Anna flinch with a small gasp. 

The fracture residing in a bone in her back- while on it's way to recovery- was still not perfectly in tact, not to mention the nasty gash that was scabbing and scarring underneath it. Thanks to the magically infused medicines and treatments from Tallula, Anna was more than close to being perfectly healthy.

Well, maybe perfect was a stretch...

But her concussion was gone, and if she had decided to stay home and ignore Scott's text, she'd probably be even better.

"Oh." The wolf said quietly from right next to her.

"It's not from last night." Anna muttered quickly, a few hesitant chokes in her words.

"Yeah, I know." Isaac nodded. His hand fell from her back, instead gently resting itself on her leg.

Anna took in a breath, before furrowing her eyebrows with a small, fake laugh. "I'm really fine, Isaac. I'm just... I don't know, tired, I guess? I really need to get home though, Tal's probably freaking out right now."

The brunette nodded fast as he spoke. "No, yeah, I get that. But I can't let you walk home, not alone at least."

"I think I can worry about myself." Anna said, dry humor dripping from her mouth. She struggled a little as she tried to stand up, and Isaac was on his feet in seconds. He latched onto her arm and her waist as he tried to steady her.

"Did you hear what I just said?" Anna looked up at him, and for a mere second, her heart skipped a beat. His frame was much taller than hers, and the feeling of his hand tightening on her waist and his chest so close to hers made her want to shrivel back up into a ball.

"We can never be too sure." Isaac whispered. His eyes traveled along her face, every single one of her features being soaked up by the colorful, addictive, irises that Anna had to physically pull herself away from. The witch grew a furious blush amongst her skin as she realized that despite the train wreck she must look right now, Isaac had still stared at her with the same adoration he had as always. 

As he used to.

"Fine." Anna declared. "You can help me, play the doctor act you're going at, but I'm leaving."

"Oh?" Isaac raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah. Right now."

"Yup, okay, cool."

"Yeah."

Anna adjusted her head ever so slightly, staring at Isaac from a more prominent angle. He said nothing, just staring back at her with his lips parted and eyebrows, still, up along his forehead.

Anna swallowed. "And I'm hungry. So get your wallet."

"Yep. On it." Isaac pressed his lips together as he left, jogging down a few stairs and rounding a corner until he was out of view.

The young witch blew a breath out of her mouth as she eased herself back onto the seat of the bus, gripping the pole next to it for support. She was probably in the wrong headspace, unconscious thoughts controlling the wires in her brain as every word that escaped her lips seemed false and every action seemed damaging. But, the more she thought, Anna couldn't really decipher what was right.

Was blocking Isaac out, staying cautious and blunt to him the safest choice? Or was that just stupidly mean of her? Isaac was still Isaac, so maybe the right thing to do was let him in and act as if everything was okay. But was it? In raw and honest truth, Anna didn't really know if her situation with Isaac was okay, all of her other situations clearly weren't. The fact that a wild and blood thirsty creature was on the loose and slowly wrapping itself in her hands claimed to be a soon awakening of a new problem. 

All the more she thought, and all the different pathways that began to sprout from each new topic in her head made her want to stand up and kick something, or break something, or just cause any sort of damage that she could. But in truth, that would only result in another injury that could be easily avoided. 

Within the next few seconds, the same moppy mess of brown hair poked it's way into the bus, and a cheeky grin flowered on it's carrier's face. The faint veins in Isaac's wrist grew prominent as his hand held up a wallet. "You ready?"

The wind was playing a game that day. It jumped along the mailboxs in the streets, playing tag with the leaves it picked up. It sent a wave through Anna's hair, tousling the tangled strands of brown. The taller werewolf strided along next to her, slowing his pace to keep up with hers.

"Are you cold?" He asked gently. He'd made an effort to cut down on the worrisome questions as he spent the rest of that morning with the girl, knowing that every time he asked one, it irked her even more than the last. But this time, he couldn't help but notice the shiver in her shoulders or the goosebumps that radiated on her skin.

"No," Anna said. "It's just a breeze."

A few houses down, the cool air knocked over a garbage can, eliciting a laugh from both teens. The click of their shoes along the sidewalk in town created a soft a melody with a song nature plucked its own tunes to.

"Yeah, just a breeze." Isaac mocked. He stayed silent for a moment before he paused, lifting his head up. "You know Derek is gonna kill me as soon as he finds out about this."

The brunette girl shrugged. "Says the one who wouldn't let me leave alone."

"True, true. I should've just called an uber or something." Isaac kicked a rock down the street, shoving his hands in his pockets to protect them against the chilly weather.

"You would've seriously been okay with me riding home in an uber?" Anna turned her head towards the wolf, an amused grin stretching at her cheeks as her eyebrows rocketed sky high.

Isaac hesitated as he looked back at her. "Yes... maybe not. I don't know. No."

Anna laughed, and the joyous sound of it brought a red tone to Isaac's ears. He looked down at the girl, and he couldn't help but wish to run his fingers through the knots of hair on her head to try and help her, or maybe run a bath for her, since the remnants of the previous' night's rain and dirt still stained the fair tones of her skin. But then again, he didn't really have a place to at the moment.

"It's fine." The blue eyed girl lifted her shoulders nonchalantly. "I'll just kick his sorry ass into next Tuesday if he tries anything."

For a moment, Isaac was confused, before he remembered their conversation about Derek. "Oh, totally, I'd love to see that."

"Yeah, and this time I won't get thrown into an ice tractor." Anna added. The pain in her back had lessened by this point in the day, but every now and then she'd still get the occasional twinge in her bones, or the uncomfortable feeling of her scabs getting caught on the scruff of her shirt.

"Oh, Jesus." Isaac squeezed his eyes shut as he walked next to her. "Please don't make me imagine that again." 

Anna hummed as she walked, eyes drifting from each store to the next, each lawn and each car. Her fingers wrestled each other in her sweater pockets and for a second, everything felt normal. And normal felt strange. After all the recent events and the horrific situation that occurred last night, normal felt like a luxury. Thinking so, Anna couldn't help but wonder about Deaton, what was wrong with him? The peaceful aura that usually brought a sense of comfort to her had completely disappeared, gone with the wind. Every time she thought about it, Anna still felt the chills she got when the first piece clicked, letting her know that the person speaking to her was not truly Deaton. The look in his eyes was so vacant, so blank. So... emotionless. It scared her. But what scared Anna even more was that feeling of being so clueless. She had a feeling she knew what was wrong, like she was staring at someone she recognized, but they were hiding underneath a disguise she knew so well she would never be able to place her finger on it. It was almost as if another person was in the room with her and 'Deaton', dancing around behind her, holding up fingers above her head and echoing a laugh within her ears, but the fear of taking her eyes off of Deaton's and the painstaking need to know who was playing his body like a puppet kept her glued there, staring at him, just staring.

In a way, she was grateful the panic she had knocked her out cold, because on her own, she didn't think she'd be able to sleep that night. Not at least without feeling a pair of eyes watching her, waiting to make it's next move...

"How exactly are we going to pull this off?" Isaac's voice cut Anna out of her endless train of thoughts. "I mean, if I walk in there with you, someone might recognize me, turn me in."

"Don't worry about it." Anna said as she walked up to the door of the diner in which marked their destination. "I got it covered."

"I sure hope so." Isaac muttered, opening the door for her. 

Anna tutted, rolling her eyes as she stepped inside. In an instant, a warm front hit her face, thawing every frozen bone in her body and melting the frost she was sure began to settle on her clothes. With a sigh, Anna walked up to the counter, Isaac right behind her, just so slightly covering his face.

Within a minute, a waitress caught sight of them, and began to walk over.

"Dissimulare." She murmured. "Hi! A table for two, please?"

"Of course, right this way." The waitress smiled as she led the two supernaturals over to a booth by a window. "I'll get you guys a menu, just one second."

Isaac nodded his thanks for the both of them as he sat across from Anna, blowing out a sigh of relief. 

"What can I say?" Anna said, holding her hands up with a flushed look on her face. "Magic."

"Oh yeah, magic is right." Isaac nodded.

The waitress returned, handing a menu to the both of them, a small comment about coming back to take their orders later leaving her lips before she left to another table to assist an elderly married couple.

Anna's eyes scanned the booklet, she'd never been as hungry as she was right now. She thought so at least. A list of options strung their way down the paper, and if she was being honest, her indecisiveness was beginning to make her frustrated. Flipping the page over to the drinks side, Anna bit her lip, trying to decide yet again.

"A chocolate milkshake would be nice." She offered.

"Yeah." Isaac said quietly. His eyebrows were furrowed as his eyes wandered over the menu, deep in thought. "They also have vanilla mochas with a scoop of ice cream in them."

Damn it. Anna thought to herself. I didn't even see that yet.

"Oh. They do." Slowly, the girl's eyes drifted upwards and towards Isaac's, who's own blue irises peeked towards her over his menu.

The sight of it caused a burst of laughter to escape her mouth, and the contagious sound drew one from the wolf too.

"Ow," Anna winced through her giggles, the healing bone in her back beginning to throb. "Stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Making me laugh, stupid."

More laughter. So much to the point Anna didn't know if it'd ever stop, and if she was being honest, she really didn't want it to. A few strange glances drifted over their way, but Anna didn't care. This was what she came back for, and she was so, so glad it was finally happening.

"Okay, okay, hush before we get kicked out." Isaac breathed, he opened his menu, spared a glance down, and sighed. "They have hot chocolate too."

Anna shook her head, a grin painted permanently on her face. "Let's just save this for later, 'kay? What are you getting to eat?"

"I'm just gonna go simple today." Isaac said. "Maybe just pancakes- oh! Chocolate pancakes. For sure."

"What is it with us and chocolate today?" Anna scoffed.

"I don't know, but you can never go wrong with chocolate."

"Alright, let's stop saying that word now."

"What? Chocolate?"

"Yes, chocolate."

"Okay, yeah, good idea. No more saying chocolate."

"Yeah, that's what I just said."

"Oh, of course, I was just repeating it back to show you I'm listening." Isaac nodded.

"Well I'd hope you are." Anna raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Totally."

"Great. Stop talking now so I can think." Anna said, her eyes drifting back down to the booklet in her hands.

"You got it." Isaac drummed his fingers along the table.

"Are you guys ready for me to take your order?" The kind, and slightly higher voice of the waitress appeared again. 

Isaac looked towards Anna, and she nodded as she looked away from the menu. She took Isaac's and held them both in her hands as Isaac spoke to the woman.

"And for you, ma'am?" The lady turned to Anna.

"I'll just have the Belgium waffles, please." The witch smiled as she handed the waitress the menus. She looked closer at her, and read the name tag. In a scripted handwriting, it said 'Maggie'. 

That's a nice name, Anna thought.

"Alright." Maggie said, she directed her tone towards both Isaac and Anna once more. "Will that be all for you today?"

The blue eyed girl opened her mouth slightly as she looked towards the wolf across from her, his eyes asked the same question hers did.

"Actually, I think there is just one or two more things, please." Anna flashed her teeth in a smile towards the waitress once more.

A slowly melting chocolate milkshake sat at a corner angle from Anna's waffles, a vanilla mocha with ice cream mirrored it, and a single steaming cup of hot chocolate was at the girl's lips.

"Stop hogging that." Isaac muttered as he wiped his mouth on a napkin.

"I'm not hogging it," Anna said. "You're just slow."

"Oh, yeah?" Isaac grinned as his lashes fluttered down at her. His smile was prominent on his face, and the sight immediately filled the air around the two with a candy sweet essence. 

"Mhm." Anna's own smile returned, and a small giggle was beginning to brew from her mouth. She turned her body inwards, clasping the warm cup between her fingers.

"Hey, come on, it's not fair if you do that." The wolf complained.

"Of course it is. You can still get it, you just might make a scene." Anna raised her eyebrows mockingly, dragging out the last word in her sentence.

"You think?" Isaac said dryly. "Pass that over."

Anna handed the cup over, biting her lip to hide her smile as she watched the boy in front of her sip from the mug. It truly wasn't a fascinating sight, the most magnificent eye could see it and call it a day, but for some reason, the image of him just sitting there and drinking hot chocolate in the cozy booth of a diner made her heart melt.

God, you're crazy. Anna's brain whispered. He isn't even doing anything.

But that's the thing, Isaac didn't even need to be doing something to make Anna want to sit and watch him all day, he just had to be there. It was dumb, but it was true. 

"Are you ready to wrap it up?" Isaac asked suddenly. He gestured to her plate, which remained of only a few little pieces of waffles swimming in a gilded sea of syrup. Powdered sugar littered the plate like snowfall, and a raspberry sat respectively amongst it.

"Yep." Anna popped the red fruit into her mouth before brushing her hands on her napkin and nodding her head to the door. "Let's get the check."

Isaac slid his hand into his pocket, beginning to pull out his wallet. As he flipped through the green paper, the young witch tapped her knuckle on the table, a bundle of money falling onto it. The thud sound made the wolf look up, and his jaw dropped slightly.

"You told me to bring my wallet." He remarked confusedly. 

Anna just merely tilted her head to the side, raising her hand as the waitress passed by. "It was for effect."

"Oh," Isaac mouthed, nodding.

"You guys all done here?" Maggie asked politely. Her short brown hair fell around her shoulders, the shiny coloring magnetizing the light. Her bright green eyes seemed so openly kind, Anna felt it hard not to just sit there and marvel over them. The pink color of her lips spread beautifully as she smiled, speaking her words to the two.

"Yes, just the check please." Anna said.

"Coming right up."

Anna sighed as she faced her body frontwards again. Her fingernails drew designs against the wood table as the tips of her shoes mimicked. Eventually, her legs began to brush with the boy's across from her. Maybe she was doing it purposefully. Maybe she just wanted to find some excuse to touch him. Maybe there was no maybe at all, and that was the exact reason.

Anna's chin came to a rest on her fist, and she carefully averted her gaze upwards.

Blue met blue.

As if her being was a cage, Anna could feel a swarm of butterflies beginning to nestle in her stomach, and it took everything in her not to break contact.

Isaac stared back at her, his eyes never once leaving hers. "So... did you ever text Tallula to let her know you're okay?"

Anna nearly jumped at his words, the thought of sending a message to her older sister having completely slipped her mind. Her right hand, which was just previously resting on the hard surface of the dining table shoved itself into her pockets. She fished around for her phone until she felt the cool of the object in her grasp.

"Shit, shit, shit." The brunette girl muttered. The voice of Tal scolding her for sneaking out, not coming home in the midst of a storm, and then not texting her until the afternoon of the next day began to echo in her head. Her frail fingers quickly typed a short and deliberate message to the young woman- everything written in it was a lie of course- but it was still a cover, and it was sent in no time. She was almost about to place the phone back into her pocket before she paused, opening Cato's contact and writing one to him, as well.

Incase you're not too stoned to understand this, if Tal asks I left to a friend's house last night and already checked in with you before I left. Love you! 

"All good?" Isaac asked as Anna dropped her phone onto the table. While she had her face buried into the device, the wolf seemed to have taken care of the bill, as the bundle of cash was no longer on the table and he was placing his sweater back on again.

"Yep," The witch zipped up her own top layer before standing up. "Just perfect."

"I can't tell if that's sarcasm or not." Isaac cocked his head to the side as he placed his fingertips on the small of her back, guiding her to the door and grabbing her phone for her in the process.

"Me neither." Anna replied with a small chuckle as the blue eyed boy behind her pulled the door open for the pair to walk through.

Again, the frost-bitten freeze of the air laid it's wrath among Anna's body, biting at her skin as she cuddled into the soft fabric of her sweater. This time, Isaac wasted no time putting his arm around her, pulling her closer to the warmth of his own body. His hand rubbed a pattern along her arm, and Anna could feel the tips of her ears begin to grow red- and this time not from the cold.

"Next stop home?" Isaac looked down at the girl as he questioned. The sharp lining of his jaw created the perfect picture as it befriended the cool skin covering it.

"Next stop home." Anna agreed.

The pointed toed boots came to a stop in front of the white door signaling an entrance to the Forester house. Anna turned around before making any move to enter, ignoring the call of soft blankets and fresh soup simmering on the stove. Anna could practically see the warm glow from under the door way, it took all it was inside of her not to enter and black out on the fluffy cushions of her couch. Her gaze was met with that of Isaac's. His hands were shoved in his pockets as he leaned against a post. The tip of his shoe was digging into the wood of her porch, but making no success in actually going anywhere. The skin on his face was pale, his cheekbones radiating a soft pink from the cool weathers.

"How are you getting home?" Anna asked. The walk all the way from Derek's loft to the diner, then again to her house had taken a bit, but despite the biting chills in the air, the girl had enjoyed it more than she cared to admit, but it was only because of the companion who had matched her pace as they walked side by side along the roads.

"I'll walk." Isaac replied casually. 

"What?" Anna furrowed her eyebrows. "That- no, that's way too far, I can just asked Tallula to drive you-"

"No, no, don't bother." Isaac shook his head meekly. "I think you're gonna be in enough trouble as it is. I really don't mind it, at all. Besides, we just did it."

"Yeah, with a food stop midway." Anna said with a small laugh. 

The werewolf in front of her chuckled, but he didn't say anything else. Instead, he did that thing again. That thing where he stood silently, admiring the dips and curves of her body and the slopes and hues of her face. If Anna were to be a hundred percent truthful, every time he did so her face grew uncomfortably hot, and a part of her had to shift a bit so it wasn't too obvious the effect her had on her was starting to take place. She turned her head to the side, trying to avoid eye contact or any sort of heartfelt exchange, but the only thing she was doing was giving him another angle to peer at her from.

"Why were you out so late anyway?" Isaac's voice broke the silence. His tone had changed, it wasn't the light and cheery vocal sounds that made Anna's insides begin to twist as she fought a stupid grin off of her face, this time, it was more serious, a curious strand mixed into his words as he eyed her carefully. "What were you doing in the middle of nowhere alone?"

Anna's lips parted in shock, she knew he was bound to ask a question along those lines, but in the extravagance of the moments she was caught up in, she had completely forgotten to come up with some sort of fake lie. A dishonest, breathy, laugh found its way out of her mouth instead of words, or an explanation. She just shook her head and shrugged.

"I was just going to the dry cleaners." The witch blurted out. She didn't even know if there was a dry cleaners anywhere near the area she was in. "I got lost in the rain when it came down."

"You didn't have any clothes with you besides the one you were wearing." Isaac's eyes began to narrow. "And you didn't have your car or anything near you."

"I... said I got lost." Anna's voice lowered to a near whisper, and it was most likely thanks to the advanced hearing Isaac gained that he could hear her.

He didn't say anything, he just observed her, and the look in his eyes was a near glare. His posture began to stiffen as the silence between them grew thicker, heavier, to the point Anna found it hard to breathe. Her heart began to beat faster, so fast it was nearly pounding. She knew Isaac could hear it, but that only made it go even more rogue.

Isaac lifted himself off of the post, his head falling down as he finally broke eye contact. Anna couldn't move, she didn't know exactly what it was she was feeling. Was she waiting for something? Or was she just making a fool of herself standing there? For a second, the silence remained, before Isaac said something in a tone so quiet, the shells of Anna's ears just barely caught it.

"I don't believe you."

Anna said nothing. Of course he didn't. Her excuses were lame and the way she panicked throughout her actions completely sold her out. So she didn't know why the sentence made her heart drop into her stomach. She couldn't even mutter a small 'okay', she couldn't even nod her head. She just stood there, stiff as a board as she measured her own breaths.

Isaac's head picked itself up, and the expression settling in his eyes were unreadable. A storm seemed to be brewing in them, the usual light colors turning a fiercely dark shade of cerulean. The thunder within them seemed to be far from its peak point, but the young witch couldn't tell if it was the storm coming to its calm or the lightning waiting for its chance to strike.

"It's really not that bad." Anna's voice shook as she forced the muscles in her cheeks to tug upwards. "Everything was fine." 

"Yeah, because I found you, right?" Isaac snapped back.

The force of it nearly made Anna flinch. The harsh way his mouth projected the words seemed so unlike the Isaac she was just walking home with. Her mouth was still open, words bouncing around her tongue but never escaping like endless game of tag. 

Like a mirror, Anna's eyes narrowed as well as she crossed her arms. "What were you doing then? I know I wasn't the only person out there with no explanation."

An even redder tone stretched across Isaac's cheeks, using his face as a canvas for the cherry like color. His features immediately relaxed as he, as well, had no reasoning for his actions.

"It doesn't matter-" He began.

"Oh really?" Anna's hands found their way to her hips. "So it only matters when it's me then, right?"

Isaac said nothing, his arms started to raise, but eventually fell back to his sides. He was speechless, the white glistens on his teeth shining through as he bit his lip.

Anna turned her face away from his point of view. How come every time she's seen him since she finally got him back it had to end badly? Technically speaking, this occasion only marked two, but the fact it outweighed the good made her stomach churn, and not in the good way it was just a few moments ago. The start of this day was actually beginning to go so well, in fact, it'd been one of the best she had in awhile, but of course, it had to be ruined.

"Hey," Isaac's voice came again, but it only made the blue eyed girl want to squeeze her eyes so tightly she was somehow transported into another dimension. "I'm sorry, alright? That got too out of hand, there was no reason for it to."

Regardless of the apology and effort he was making to brush it all away, Anna knew Isaac didn't mean it. It was obvious there was a reason for it, and despite the calmer approach he took on, the girl could still feel the sting of saltiness poking at her skin. When she finally turned her head back to look at him, he was closer than before. He stood only a small few feet away, and the regret in his eyes shone brighter than the lights gleaming on the porch.

"I agree." Anna said softly. "I told you, it wasn't that big of a deal anyway."

"Yeah," Isaac whispered, but his head tilted down, and the witch knew he was just trying to hide the true feelings he expressed just a few moments ago.

The quiet air whistled a soft tune in her ears as it ruffled up her hair. "I think I better head out now." Isaac said. His tone was gruff, and Anna could tell her wasn't at all satisfied with the way things let off.

As far as she knew, Anna wasn't either.

"Yeah, alright. You sure you don't want a ride?" She asked gently. Her hands had fallen from her hips, one of them now playing with a loose string on her jeans as she awaited his answer.

"No, I'm good." Isaac said. And that was all. Those three simple words left hanging in the air. Anna's brain recycled them like a run on sentence, but they didn't stop, and nothing more was added.

Isaac didn't move, though, he just stood there, seeming to accept that the both of the were still waiting for something to be said.

"I'll see you around?" The brunette girl asked quietly. She looked upwards, and his stare fell down against hers. The thrashing sea in his eyes turned peaceful, but his stiff posture and odd silence was a warning that something was lurking deep below it.

"Yeah." Isaac whispered. Just before he turned to leave, the soft palm of his significantly large hand floated upwards to gently hold tight to her cheek. His head leaned forward with a sigh, his eyes coming to a close as he placed his lips tenderly on her forehead.

Anna's eyes fluttered close as she drowned herself in the ecstasy of the moment. For a split second, she allowed herself to feel as if everything was okay, and the only thing happening was Isaac kissing her goodbye as he dropped her off at home. But of course, it was nothing like that. It was moments like these when Anna was so thankful she could simply pretend, and not have to feel the burning wrath of reality that left it's ashy marks upon her.

Only a few seconds had passed until Anna's head grew cold, signaling that Isaac had removed his lips from her skin. No words were said, it was like someone had pressed the 'mute' button and her eardrums had created a barrier between her and the sounds that surrounded her. Isaac failed to meet her eyes as she desperately searched his face for any emotion, but to no avail. His frame turned from hers, and just a few steps later he was walking down the stairs. Anna only allowed herself to watch him get to the bottom before she turned around and went inside, shutting the door and creating a wall between them. She didn't know if this was to prevent Isaac of the satisfaction of knowing she was watching him wistfully from her doorstep, or to keep herself from the hollow feeling that deepened in her stomach with each second he grew farther.

A soft groan escaped Anna's lips as her head fell back against her door, her body clinging to it for support. Suddenly, the feeling of being inside the warm house didn't soothe her chills, and the mouth watering smell of food didn't seem so appetizing. No one seemed to be home, the house so empty Anna could practically see her own sorrowful reflection bouncing off the mirrors. Her eyes closed, and a breath escaped her. She inhaled deeply through her nose, trying to pull the strings inside her that let her feel something other than the painfully large gaping hole inside of her, but she felt nothing.

Breaking her out of her echoing daze, Anna's phone buzzed in her pocket, the light streaming through the fabric. Anna let her head drop down as she pulled the device out. Her eyes widened as she scanned over the message on the screen, her brain processing the words countless times over. In an instant, she was off of her front door and heading downstairs, into the green lit depths of the stone crypt in which laid beneath her home.

a/n - well it's good to be back! this chapter was mostly a filler for next, and just fluff bc i still feel bad about just disappearing :( but i have a bit of time before camp so i'll try and squeeze a few chapters in!! also ignore any minor mistakes i might've made, i checked it over but at four am whoops