Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"My mom killed someone," Keefe said softly, his fingers curling around the stake in his hands until the skin over his knuckles looked as white as his teeth.
Sophie looked at him curiously, moving to sit closer as he continued.
"She's capable of taking a life." He said, his eyes lifting to meet her gaze as Sophie put her hand over his
"You're not," she promised him but his smile didn't come back to his lips, rather he looked more scared by her words than anything else as the van jolted with movement as they drove closer and closer to the lair where they'd be forced to take lives.
His free hand reached up and brushed a soft curl of blonde from her cheeks and back behind her ear as he whispered, "That's what I'm scared of."
And that was the last she ever saw of Keefe Sencen alive and human

Chapter Text

The silence of the van was hot and scratchy like the feeling of a blazing breeze on a summer's day. But summer was gone, replaced by fallen leaves that crunched under the tires that carefully rolled over foliage and flat trails. 

When they had received the envelope containing the coordinates and a print out from MapQuest (which Stina had declared ‘way too old school’) they knew what mission Mr. Forkle had been sending them on as the package he left for them in the school’s basement, their unofficial hideout, was armed to the teeth with wooden stakes, flashlights, batteries, and a million other little gadgets Dex had been more than proud to present at the first finished models of his own creation. 

Keefe had stayed silent after his brief conversation with Sophie as the stake in his hands bumped against his leg at every slight movement, reminding him what he had to do but couldn’t. 

While he and Sophie stayed silent, in his mind they kept talking, having hundreds- thousands of conversations as the adrenaline of the night kept growing and growing in his body the longer the silence lasted. In every conversation he either said his last words as romantically as possible in the suave perfect version where he wasn’t an anxious mess or he’d totally screwed it over and left them back in the silence they were sitting in now and it wouldn’t stop bothering him. 

Either the van had hit a bumpy patch or Keefe’s leg wiggling was adding to the constant shaking but Keefe’s knuckles clung tightly to the stake so much so he had a small worry in the back of his mind that he’d give himself a splinter. 

When Sophie leaned forward suddenly Keefe thought maybe she wanted to talk and free him for the anxiety but it was just to tie her shoe again and Keefe let out a sigh. 

They lived in a town far away from the world and its normalcy, a sleepy little place so small and inconvenient the only time new people ever came by was for gas or a fresh start. Something something about Spanish territory and the Louisiana purchase left the town with a stupid name like La Eternia or The Eternal, though Keefe might be wrong about the translation but he was sure he was close. The Spanish probably hadn’t meant to name the town so literally, they’d probably just wanted to sound cool by naming it something that meant forever. They hadn’t meant vampires. 

The real eternals of the world; cold, shallow, and moral-less. Blood-sucking demons of unknown origins. Whatever attracted them to La Eternia brought something else too, Slayers, vampire Slayers that ate, slept, and breathed vampire hunting and killing for the sole purpose of keeping the world safe from their fangy hands. The Slayers that moved here settled and thus began the epic battle of the good and the bad; for generations Slayers and Blood-suckers have been fighting in the darkness in the sleepy little town, hidden and unknown to the naive world as to what was really going bump in the night. 

Technically they weren’t supposed to be doing this. They were just supposed to be normal teenagers doing normal teenage things like…like sneaking beers and watching TV late or playing video games till dawn while eating more junk food than a gas station can hold and then regret it in the morning. Wylie shouldn’t be driving them to a vampire lair full of blood thirsty leeches ready to drain the life out of them in a not-hot way. He should be doing normal grown-up stuff like college essays or whatever it is college guys do, party at a frat house- well Wylie isn’t the type to go actually…or get invited. But Fitz totally shouldn’t be here and neither should Biana despite the fact that their family has lived in La Eternia since its founding and their great great whatever old guy has a statue in the library of him. They should be arguing about who gets their maxim HD full screen TV in their big fancy living room and end up agreeing to a movie marathon after Biana wrecks Fitz at Super Mario. Dex should be watching his three siblings so his parents could go out or do good normal parent stuff. Sophie should be reading a new cool book or studying like the brilliant brainiac she is. Stina- well actually Keefe can’t see Stina anywhere else, she’s always sort of fit into the hunting life but knowing her and her love of horses (which was one of the few things he actually knew about her) she should be…cuddling a  horse or something. 

Keefe didn’t know what he should be doing or what he would even want to do. Staying at home was a definite no. He didn’t like the emptiness of the house now that his dad ditched town and his mom is off at jail for murder. Maybe he’d ask Sophie out on a date. 

Yeah, that’d be nice. A date with the most amazing girl he’s ever met. 

The van came to a halt and Keefe’s stomach lurched with it as they all started to file out like soldiers, their faces all grim and serious. It made him want to crack a joke or tease someone, lighten the mood so his stomach would stop hurting but he couldn't even get his jelly legs to move when he wanted them to. 

Sophie stopped as she reached for the seat in front of her to hop over and looked back at him, shooting him a small smile as she started to go over the seats but Fitz suddenly pulled the tab to fold the seat and Sophie shot forward as her leg got caught under. Keefe grabbed her arm while Fitz tried to stop the chair as Sophie squeaked, breaking the silence as the others stopped checking their gear to look over at Sophie’s bright red face. 

“And everyone disagreed with Sophie staying in the van, why?” Stina asked with a scoff as she sauntered over and opened the door wider so Sophie could crawl out as she shot Stina look. 

“We need all hands on deck and Sophie sitting in the van leaves her vulnerable,” Wylie reminded Stina as he holstered two knives into his belt and a stake across his chest. 

“As if she’s not already vulnerable.” Stina muttered just loudly enough for everyone to hear her as Keefe climbed out and wrapped an arm around Sophie’s shoulders. 

“That’s why I’m with her, good to look at and good to rely on.” Keefe boasted, his own voice full of false confidence even to him but Sophie put her hand over his and nudged him. 

“We rely on each other,” She smiled at him and her usual Foster confidence made his heart skip a little as he smiled back while Stina muttered something else while walking over to Biana and yanking on her jacket. 

“Take off the hood.” Stina demanded and Biana whirled after regaining her balance. 

“What??” 

“The hood, take it off, it’s a hazard.” Stina warned and tugged on the hood again as Biana tsk-ed her tongue and kicked in Stina’s direction. 

“Stop pulling it’s fine.” Biana insisted but Stina mentioning any kind of danger involving Biana set off Fitz’s big brother instincts as well as Keefe’s. 

“Maybe just take the hood off so we don’t have an ‘I told you so’ moment later?” Fitz suggested way nicer than Stina had which was par for the course. Wherever Stina grumbled, Fitz smoothed over. Biana gave her brother a look but shrugged off her jacket with a big eye roll anyway as she pulled at the zipper connecting the two as Keefe tucked in Sophie’s hood into her hoodie. 

“Keefe,” Sophie started but Keefe shrugged. 

“Just in case.” He defended as he tucked her hair behind her ear and held her face in his hands. “I want us both to come back safe and sound.” 

“I can’t wait until there are no more vampires around, period!” Dex huffed as he pulled a thick heavy glove onto his hand and clicked it onto his wrist. Keefe and Sophie looked over at him as Dex activated the glove. “Once this is all over and I don’t ever have to see another vampire except on Halloween, I’m gonna play video games until I'm thirty!” 

“No college?” Wylie teased, being the only technical adult of the group since he was in college already and looking to graduate next year. 

“I’ll go into pro gaming.” Dex grinned proudly and Keefe held his fist out for a fist-bump. 

“My man!” 

Dex smiled and started to go for the bump when Stina grabbed his wrist suddenly. 

“Hey bolts for brains! You trying to break our best shooter before we even start?” Stina snapped as Dex looked at his gloved hand and then Keefe’s. 

“Woah,” Dex blinked as Keefe smiled nervously at the glove. 

“Why? What does that do?”

“It enhances the kinetic energy produced by-”

“English Dex.” They groaned. 

“I punch hard.” Dex simplified and Stina scoffed. 

“And you were about to fist-bump over being a doofus,” She said with a big roll of her eyes and a shake of her head. “You idiots are scientific evidence why women live longer!” Stina threw her hands up in the air as Dex frowned and glared at her. 

“Oh please, I’m going to out-live you for sure and then who’ll be laughing?” Dex started to bicker and Keefe looked at Sophie who sighed and leaned against the van next to Biana as Stina and Dex went at it again . 

“You think it ever gets old for them?” Keefe asked Fitz as Fitz laughed and equipped himself with a punching glove. 

“I think they look forward to it.” Fitz grinned before frowning at the glove on his hand. “This is tiny.”

“They can’t seriously look forward to yelling at each other.” Biana added in as Sophie shrugged. 

“Well Stina might.” 

“Fitz, you okay buddy?” Keefe asked as Fitz started to pull the glove off with great struggle. 

“This thing is way too tight and tiny.” Fitz winced as his arm swung out from his attempt to pull it off. 

“Maybe your hand is just fat.” Biana suggested unhelpfully as she laughed at Fitz in the way a little sister would. 

“My hands aren’t fat!” Fitz frowned as Sophie looked down at her own hands. 

“I think my hands are small.”

“No your palm is small, your fingers are long,” Keefe chimed in as she pressed his palm next to Sophie’s. 

“Your hand is bigger than mine,” Sophie laughed as she intertwined their fingers together and held his hand which made Keefe smile broadly. 

“Better to hold yours with.” He winked suavely as Sophie wrinkled her nose and rolled her eyes but grinned. 

“No one likes to hold Fitz’s hand cause they’re fat.” Biana cackled as she reached for the glove and tried to yank it off. 

“OW! That’s my actual finger!” Fitz cried and Stina stopped berating Dex and winning their current argument to see what was going on. 

“I look away for two seconds and you guys just can’t stop injuring yourselves!” Stina said in amazement at their incompetence. “You’re like actual babies!”

“Fitz isn’t, he’s got big man hands.” Keefe laughed. 

“My hands aren't fat! They’re normal sized.” 

“Why on earth are you breaking your finger over hand size?” Stina questioned and looked at them like they were dumber than dirt. 

“I’m not trying to break my finger, I’m trying to get this stupid glove off!” Fitz cried as Wylie walked over and Dex poked at Fitz’s wrist. 

“You just have to click this and it’ll release.” Dex explained as the glove finally came off and Stina sighed heavily like they would give her another white streak to join the one already in her hair. 

“Why’d you make them so small?” Fitz asked, rubbing his wrist. 

“They’re not small!” Dex argued, clearly ready to fight someone else if he couldn’t beat Stina this time. “They’re normal sized.” 

“Those things wouldn’t even fit Wylie, princess fingers.” Stina smirked as Dex’s cheeks turned pink at the slight towards his hand size. 

“You’re only saying that cause you have mammoth hands!” Dex shot back and Stinalooked at her hand…and then shoved Dex’s head away when he moved into her space. 

“Whoops, sorry princess, mammoth hands.” She grinned, wiggling her fingers as Wylie cleared his throat. 

“Guys, are we ready to get to work or are we gonna goof around all night?” He snapped, putting his hands on his hips and trying to act like the adult he was supposed to be while working with a bunch of high school seniors. “Good,” he nodded when no one protested. “Let’s go over teams and the plan again, Forkle wasn’t joking around when he said this would be our hardest hit yet. We’re not talking about just one blood-sucker, we’re looking at four.” 

A serious hush seemed to fall with the orange leaves on the ground as they all shared a glance around the group knowing four was double the number they had ever faced in their whole lives. Just one vampire required hours worth of strategizing and weeks of prepwork. Forkle had only given them a number, a location, and a Hail Mary of a team to work with to make it out alive and back home, or as much home as some of them had left to come back to. 

Someone might not make it tonight. 

Chapter Text

Stina’s throat bobbed as she swallowed, trying to push the nerves down and back into the pit of her stomach but they kept coming back up as she walked stoically through the forest with Keefe, Sophie, and the moron. It wasn’t helping much that Sophie kept tripping over every root, branch, and small stone the forest’s underbrush had to offer, making sounds that rang out in Stina’s ears louder than they probably were and it kept making her angry that they even had Sophie on the team at all. 

Besides her apparent knack at always getting in trouble and being at the worst place at the worst time the only purpose she served was as bait for the vampire to come and munch on her bones. 

Which…was a very mean thought to have but Stina wasn’t wrong! Not entirely at least. Sophie wasn’t particularly skilled at anything that made her stick out in any fancy way. Biana and Fitz were legacies, born and bred for the vampire hunting work and should they make it to 25, would officially become Vampire Slayers after showing their shiny perfect names to the Council. Wylie was obnoxious and overbearing and boring and forgettable and dull and stupid and lame and uninteresting and had no friends or sense of style, presence, personality, or fun…but he was old so that gave him experience I guess. Keefe was only the start of a legacy but he was pathetic enough that his tendency to look pitiful coughed up brownie points to get him on Forkle’s sweet side (which, like, gross ). Dex’s only purpose was making gadgets and pissing her off but Sophie was just…Sophie. 

Hearing a twig snap behind her again for the millionth time Stina stormed ahead faster as her heart rate spiked. If any bloodsucking monsters heard that they’d be toast and frankly if Sophie wanted to make herself a human fire alarm Stina was fine abandoning her during the Fang-Apocalypse.

It was like they were all trying to piss her off and get her to scream or yell so when the vampires came for dinner they could blame her and walk away with whatever limbs they had left, if any at all. Especially Dex and his odd insistence to walk beside her even though her stride was double his or anyone else's length. Everything about her was uncomfortable; uncomfortable to walk beside, to look up at, to talk to, to kiss. The thought of kissing however was a dangerous one as the boy beside her stayed persistently in her mind and by her side. Obnoxious and indifferent to the uncomfortability of her existence.

It was a damn stupid thing kissing him. Kissing a boy who didn't even like her, kissing him and feeling nothing at all but his anger, kissing him and thinking of someone else instead, kissing him and wanting nothing more than to never part and let go of that moment, that stupid vulnerable moment of ignorance where Stina had taken a life for the first time, her first kill.

It was such a big deal then, cracking the stake into that bloodsucker’s chest and hearing the sounds of their screams, feeling the writhing of their body beneath her, hearing the sickening crack of bone and the silence of stillness afterwards. Stina had been so shaken up she hadn't even celebrated, she just stood there with the beast still held up against the wall, practically hung there by the stake in their chest like a painting, a war trophy. 

Wylie had asked her over and over if she was okay, Mr Forkle never made any appearance, that rotten bastard, but he acted like he cared for Wylie’s concerns about her and sent Elwin over a billion times to do checkups Stina stubbornly refused, Fitz, sweet stupid angel that he was, kept sending little gifts or offering smiles and a comforting shoulder even though he wasn't entirely sure how to read her irritated moods.

Oh but Dex could read them alright.Read her straight and simple like a children's book complete with pictures and pop-ups. 

He had come over to her house and bothered her for hours just like this, just standing beside her and occasionally rambling about his stupid technology and gadgets until she broke and snapped at him finally while they were in her room. She yelled and screamed at him something fierce knowing she had no neighbors to overhear and the house was empty aside from them. 

She yelled and howled like the wind, pushing him and saying every cruel insult and hateful curse she could muster up on her blackened tongue. Showing him all the horrible sides of her wanting him to just go and leave with a self satisfied smile thinking he had broken her at last. Because she'd rather crack and break than ever admit she was broken to begin with. Broken and rotted from the inside. 

When she couldn't yell anymore, couldn't think up a single creative insult, when tears burned her eyes and left marks on her cheeks as she broke, bent over holding her face in her hands and sobbing, unable to forget the sound of the stake going in and the popping of bones and blood and screams, hands had blanketed hers and Stina looked up to meet a kind, cool periwinkle she had known for almost all her life and when his thumb wiped away her tears Stina asked to kiss him. He had complied, leaning in and kissing her shaking lips and his warmth had been a sensation she couldn't forget especially on hard nights when she tossed and turned endlessly. 

He had kissed her calmly and briefly until she kissed him back to which he replied. She had wanted him then, wanted him completely and fully to have and to hold and to love. She was a mess and probably looked like a wreck but when his arms wrapped around her, holding her safe and warm she didn't want to ever let go of him or this moment. She wanted to hold on forever, to hold and kiss him like the world would be alright if they could face it together, existence far more bearable at his side. 

Nothing could replace the feeling of being his for that moment, being in his arms, treated delicately like she was cared for enough to be considered delicate, fragile and precious like the fanciful wondrous ways women dream where there's no possessor and possession but love.  

Pulling apart for air and seeing that bright light in his eyes had made her smile in a silly schoolgirl kind of way and she knew they probably shouldn't be kissing after she admitted to being haunted but she was the one who asked for this and she didn't regret it. She adored the way he smiled back at her, like there was something worth smiling about then, between them there was something more than the bickering that kept them together and she invited him to lay down beside her on the bed. They talked and he held her as she ran her fingers through his hair and they kissed endlessly until she fell asleep with the promise on her lips that tomorrow she'd talk to her parents, look for help with her mental wellbeing, and that she'd see him later when she woke up.

But he wasn't there when she opened her eyes hours later. He didn't leave any note or card. No text or stupid meme. He took any trace that he had even been there besides her memories and even went the whole weekend with static silence until they saw each other at school again on Monday. He hadn't even asked how she was, bothered to explain where he went, why he left. That stupid dumbass had just looked at her from across the hall and then looked away again after stealing so many kisses, after tricking her into opening up, after tearing open a door in her heart she never thought she had, never knew she wanted and needed until him and now they were back to strangers.

Sure, on Wednesday he tried to talk to her when they both arrived early to their stupid ‘headquarters’ but she refused him, set on being strangers if strangers was all he wanted to be. Kiss her then leave, love her and hold her and then rip away a piece of her heart without a care in the world. Sick demented bastard.

Of course then there was the whole mortifying ordeal of seeing Biana and her older brother Alvar walking out of a therapist's office right across the hall from Stina’s the same day but Stina tried not to think about Biana and Dex at the same time. Especially not when kissing Dex had just been on her mind. 

Which- why was that on her mind? What was with her today?? They were going to go kill vampires and probably get seriously injured, almost die, possibly actually die, or all the above. 

Stina figured it was a sign that she was probably insane, or unwell. The weather was changing and now everyone was getting stuffy noses which meant anyone and everyone at school kept snuffling and wiping their noses on their hands, sweaters, shirts and anything that wasn't a tissue since they were all too cowardly to just go up to the teacher’s desk and grab one. 

snap Snap SNAP

“Sophie can you please stop stepping on every twig and branch in this fucking forest?!” Stina hissed through her teeth, spinning around and stepping on a twig herself which only raised her blood pressure and made her want to scream, but she wouldn’t give the others the satisfaction of seeing her die like an idiot so she scooped down to pick up a rock and flung it as hard as she could in anger. 

Instead of the crack of a rock hitting a tree or- god forbid, a vampire- they heard a splash and Stina frowned. 

There wasn’t supposed to be any body of water nearby. 

Stina took a step to walk in that direction until Dex grabbed her arm, his body half frozen in fear as he looked at her like she was crazy. 

“What are you doing?” He asked, risking a whisper but Stina yanked her arm away and looked at the others. 

“We’re not supposed to be here,” She told them and Sophie’s eyes widened as the realization dawned on her. 

“We’re not supposed to be near any water.” Sophie said softly and Stina nodded, for once appreciating Sophie’s stupidly unfair photographic memory. The map Forkle had given them with coordinates and everything had never shown any body of water within miles of the supposed vampire location and unless Stina developed super strength and they all gained super hearing…

“This is a set up.” Dex said in a haunted whisper as his face blanched and Keefe and Sophie reached for each other’s hands. 

“Check your equipment!” Stina snapped. “Now!” She added as she started throwing her stuff onto the ground and the others hurried to follow her lead, probably not sure what she was doing but it was her anger issues that led them here so they just did as she told them to.

If only they’d do this shit more often.

Keefe and Sophie were somehow the quickest at getting their stakes and knives out which Stina had to admit gave Sophie some usefulness beyond just bait while Dex seemed to struggle with this stupid princess gloves on. 

Stina groaned and grabbed his belt and yanked him over as she started tossing whatever he had on him as Dex’s hands flailed around unsureidly until he seemed to just give up and tossed one of Stina’s stakes down instead of getting her crossbow off her back but Stina  was too distracted to scold as she sucked in a breath when Sophie pulled a stake Keefe had on the back of his belt. 

There, embedded in the seal of the dull end was a small blinking dot so faint Stina was sure if it wasn’t for the darkness of the night they all would’ve missed it. 

It was possibly a tracker or a locator or god knows what…but Keefe was the one who had it on him and that wasn’t any of the stakes they had taken out of the box. 

That was his mother’s. 

Sophie dropped it like it burned but Keefe watched it fall to the floor in silence as Dex kelt to take a closer look. 

Dex carefully picked up the blinking stake and one of the discarded knives and took a small stab at the seal which made Keefe flinch and look away. Stina’s mind repaid the night over and over looking for a clue and wishing she had Sophie’s superpowered memory abilities when it hit her. 

Keefe’s mom had been taken away to jail for murder less than a month ago and the package from ‘Mr. Forkle’ had been labeled for ‘The Foxfire Academy CWCA club’ had come with the same wax stamp on the tape strip of the box they were all used to but the box didn’t come with some stupid riddle or arbitrary puzzle to solve. The writing had been typed too since it came on the same page as the MapQuest pages. 

“I-” Keefe started, probably ready to blame himself, his hand reaching for the blinking tracker but Stina’s hand shot out like a whip and snatched the tracker from Dex’s hand. 

There was silence.

Not really.

Sort of.

There was supposed to be stunned silence but the cracking sound of Stina biting the tracker and having it crack between her teeth was a little loud. 

“Did you just…swallow it?” Sophie asked but Stina scooped up a handsful of stakes and shoved them at her. 

“What the hell are you all standing around for huh?!” Stina snapped as she picked up a stake and nearly naked Keefe in the head as she threw it at him with full force. “We’ve got to get moving to find Wylie and the others! They don’t know we’ve been set up!” 

“Did you swallow it ?” Dex asked, his voice rising with concern but Stina grabbed a fist full of his shirt and dragged him towards her. 

“Did I say move your lips or your legs?” She scolded and then shoved him at Keefe who was still fumbling with the stake she threw at him. 

“Stina!” Keefe tried as Stina started pushing them away. Who knew who that tracker was sending a signal to or what they’d do now that the signal went dead. Oh God, what if she doomed them all just by fucking eating it? She prayed none of them could tell how scared she was or how much her hands were shaking right now because she was so sure the world was going sideways as her mind swirled unknowns and-

*****************************

A cold breeze hit the back of her neck. 

She reached back and grabbed the bow. 

Stina whirled around and shot a bolt as a spray of blood splattered, a body banged against a tree as the open mouth of the vampire displayed the blot Stina just shot. 

“They’re-” Sophie started but Dex burst forward and stabbed a stake into the chest of the vampire as it squealed and writhed, black ooze bubbling out of the wound and spraying all over. 

“Here,” A deep voice echoed as a vampire in a back cloak dropped out of the trees and Keefe swore under his breath. 

ZzzzziIIIIP-PING

Stina fired another bolt but her shot hit nothing but the cloak and trees as Dex backed up and Keefe and Sophie stood ready to run. 

The vampire pushed back his cloak to reveal a head of short blond hair and the ugliest mug Stina had ever had the displeasure of seeing. 

“Gethen.” Sophie hissed under her breath as the hideous monster smiled and flashed his white fangs at them. 

“The protégé.” 

“Gethen don’t play with your-” Another vampire spoke as they dropped down but Stina shot another bolt the moment Gethen’s head had turned and he only moved enough for the metal to graze his cheek. 

“You bitch.” He growled, lip curling back as Stina lowered the crossbow and pulled out a Dex Dizznee Special. 

“Run.” She told him as she tossed the smiling ceramic Santa at him but as predicted he dodged and it broke against the tree behind him releasing a small explosion. How Dex managed to make that, Stina never wanted to know. 

The sound was like a firecracker hitting its biggest bang right in front of them with the lightshow being as bright as the sun for a moment as everyone either dodged, ducked, or started running. If Stina’s luck wasn’t so bad then maybe Wylie and the others heard and knew something was wrong. Unless it was too late for them. 

“Go!” Dex yelled behind her as they took off running in different directions and the vampires started to give chase. Any advantage they might’ve had from sitting in the dark for so long was hopefully shattered by the light and had gained them a few more seconds. 

Stina loaded up another bolt and for a moment hated the fact that they used such medieval shit like crossbows and wooden stakes when she could be using a gun or something. Not that the gun would manage to do anything other than piss off the vampires but it sure would make her feel a little better. 

It's so stupid that they only die from a stake to the heart. Talk about obnoxious. 

“Dex!” Stina yelled as she fired, shooting the black, ghastly blur that ran up to Dex only an inch away as the bolt buried itself in the hood and what remained underneath as Dex turned, his hands lighting up as his Super Punches built up energy and his fist cracked against the vampire’s jaw, making the bolt point what might be north instead of south with a single blow. 

“Tag!” Dex shouted as Stina pulled out a stake and dug it into the vampire, pressing down to make sure it was dead as her hands were coated in black. 

“That’s two!” Stina called back as Sophie shouted a third. 

“Get to a clearing!” Stina commanded, they might put themselves out in the open but that was better than getting picked off through the trees. 

“Stina-!” Keef cried out too late as a vampire slammed into her with the force of a truck, they flew through the air and Stina’s arm was trapped underneath the strong arm. They crashed to the floor as Stina shouted in pain from the rough landing. 

“Stina!” Dex screamed and a flash lit up the darkness revealing the figure above Stina as they started to get up but she didn’t give them the chance. With her free hand she slapped them across the face and once her other hand was free she slammed the butt of her crossbow into their eye as they screamed in agony. 

Stina tried to make a quick draw of her stake but she hadn’t realized she had left the stake she previously had in that other vampire. 

The realization left her distracted long enough for the vampire on top of her to recover as fire started to color the world red and orange and Stina noticed that while not in a clearing they were in a spot with trees spread further apart and she didn't need a big fat stake. She could improve. 

The vampire picked her up by the throat as Stina kicked her legs but finding she wasn’t that far off the ground really. This guy- or girl-was short.

“You asshole !”

“It’s pronounced Heks .” Stina coughed, a smartass to the end as the vampire screamed at her and threw her to the side. Stina crashed into a branch that cracked off like nothing but seriously stung her back. 

Stina reached into her pocket as quickly as she could as the vampire jumped on her again but Stina slammed her hand into their open mouth as they tried to hiss at her. 

The gum was a distraction and Stina grabbed the broken branch that surely left a mark on her back and jammed it into the vampire’s chest. 

It howled in agony and backed away, holding at the branch and ripping it out as Stina swore. Obviously it wasn’t sharp enough to fully penetrate the chest. Fuck. 

“Stina!” Sophie yelled, running over as the vampire turned to her surprised but didn’t react quick enough as the two girls worked together, Stina pushing forward from behind and Sophie shoving from the front as the stake Sophie held in her hands broke the rest of the way in. The vampire between them screeched and clawed at them both and for once Stina was glad she chose her thick sweater to wear. 

“You got a spare?” Stina asked as Sophie pulled out her stake from the vampire’s chest. 

“You want this one?” Sophie asked, holding out the blood stake towards her and Stina took it. 

“Thanks Foster,” Stina sighed, trying to catch her breath but that throw really knocked the wind out of her lungs real good. 

“You okay?” Sophie asked, breathing heavy herself as Stina avoided her worried stare.

“Where are the boys?” Stina asked and Sophie pointed her chin to the fire. 

“Follow the arson.” 

“Let's get moving then.” Stina huffed and staggered forward. 

Stina and Sophie ran through the forest, coming across what was less of a clearing and more of a battleground of ruins. Maybe an old stone cottage or something had been here before but it was a terrible spot next to a dried up creek and surrounded by bumpy mounds of uneven flooring, making awkward platforms all around.

There were basins of fire lit up, illuminating the battlefield as Dex and Keefe battled away on one of the plateaus formed by the dirt. 

“There’s the boys.” Stina panted, her breath still coming out too short as Sophie leaned against a tree in no better shape than Stina as she noticed the three vampires the boys were fighting. 

“Why the heck do they need to gang up?” Sophie wondered aloud. “They’re twice as strong as we are!” 

“Pussys.” Stina huffed and while Sophie probably didn’t appreciate Stina’s colorful vocabulary, it was still really fucking shitty of three vampires to gang up on one capable vampire hunter and Dex. Not that Keefe was anywhere near capable but everyone looks better next to Dex. 

“Lets-”

“Wait!” Stina hissed, putting a hand on Sophie’s chest. 

“Hey!”

“Sorry I wasn’t trying to- just look dumbass.” Stina moved her hand away and pointed at the big stone wall the boys were starting to get backed up against. 

“What about it?” Sophie asked as Stina make sure her crossbow still worked right.

“I'm gonna pin a little art to the wall, you're gonna flank.” Stina instructed, complainer very loose very on the spot plan to Sophie as Sophie moved out and Stina took aim as Dex and Keefe battled the three vampires and pressed their backs against the wall as the vampires started to move in closer.

PING

Stina shot one right in the ankle, anchoring it to the ground as it squealed and looked down in confusion as Sophie jumped out at them and dug her stake into the second vampire’s side. Keefe took that opportunity to get in a kill as he sunk his own stake deep into the vampire's chest the moment it started to turn its attention to Sophie.

Dex kicked the third and final vampire in the chest and it stumbled back just as Stina finished loading in another bolt and Dex moved out the way so Stina could pin the bastard to the wall. Dex staked it nice and clean as the vampire with a bolt in its ankle now found itself surrounded as Sophie lunged. 

Stina smiled and started to stand when a blur of action called to her attention as something came from her right, grabbing her by the front of her sweater and if Stina seriously needed a toss count she was already up to two as the vampire threw her. 

She screamed as she started to fall down the lumpy terrain, her body crashing and slamming into almost anything and everything imaginable. The air left her lungs for the second time that night with a great big OOF as she rolled onto a ledge just above the others. Someone called out to her but Stina was frozen in place as she took in what she had hit. 

She crashed against the two vampires were crouched behind some stones, and Stina swore with what little air she had left as she rolled on the floor, being way closer to the vampires than she’d ever like to be but they recovered and focused on her. Pouncing like animals as they seemed to crash into each other trying to get to her. One succeeding and pinning her down only to be knocked over by another as the one that threw her before jumped into the mix.

Stina flailed about, trying to get them off of her, trying to free herself from their disgusting hold as they shoved her face into the dirt and fallen leaves. She spat and screamed, feeling their hands all over her body, all touching, holding, grabbing, groping, pulling at her clothes and hair and skin as if trying to pull her apart limb by limb. She threw punches and kicks with all her strength but they were overwhelming her and her breath became short and sporadic as they kept touching her with their filthy fucking hands. Her skin crawled and writhed with agony at the violation of her person as they refused to let her go and she couldn’t break herself free. 

Her elbow caught one of them across the jaw and Stina felt a numbing bolt strike her arm, corroding it and making her want to finch and just curl up into a ball so they would finally stop touching her- sadistic fucking bastards. But her anger began to take over the fear and vulnerability of her feeble soul as white hot rage filled her blood and bones and flesh. Burning and burning her until she could see her breath in the cold night air in giant puffs as she cracked her knuckles against someone’s nose and the blood that rained on her face and lips was nothing short of champagne to her. 

A scream that could only be described as a battle cry ripped out of her throat as her fist made contact with someone else. She was throwing wild swings at anything that moved but she didn’t care who she was hitting so long as it made the filth on her skin stop! She hit someone right on the Adam’s apple and could hear them choking for breath but those filthy fucking leeches didn’t deserve the heaven of air as she straddled them. Slamming them down onto the dirt just as they has to her and she squeezed their throat with one hand as the other started to prod and pierce into their eye, planning on gorging it out and taking her vengeance; an eye for an eye. 

She had almost torn the thing out completely when something grabbed her from the side and threw her back onto that stupid dirty ground and a fist snapped her jaw so hard she was sure it was broken from the stinging, violent pain that filled her face and the metallic taste of blood that poured into her mouth. Stina spat it out onto the ground but the smell of her fresh blood wasn’t enough to distract the blood-sucker as it dragged it’s crawls across her face and Stina could hardly scream out fully from the pain that caused her as blood slipped into her eye and she blinked to get it out. Stina struggled, hands clawing at her dirt, legs kicking for a grip they couldn’t find as the vampire marred her face and held her down to stop her from facing her punishment. 

Even though it killed her to open her mouth, Stina screamed and lifted her hips, rolling them to the side and getting the vampire off her once more as she picked up a sharp branch from the floor and lunged. 

There was a sickening crunch as the branch dug into the vampire’s chest but Stina twisted and put her weight on the weapon, dark foul smelling ichor poured out of the wound, spraying her burning face with the filth and while disgusting, there was only a slight stinging to her face after the vampire stopped squirming beneath her instead of the flames that had engulfed it before. 

She spat her blood onto their lifeless face and kicked their head, staggering onto her feet and looking up to see two vampires on a small hill, their silhouettes lit up by the fire  loading up a weapon, aiming right at Dex. 

Stina’s body didn’t move in slow motion and time never slowed down as far as she was aware. When she started running she wasn’t even sure she had given her body the command, she just knew her legs had almost folded in on themselves causing her to skitter and scrambled back onto her feet as she took off down the hill, trying to go as fast as she could to save her friend while the vampires behind her screeched and took off after her to avenge their fallen brother in hell. 

She tripped a little while running and she was lucky that she had as a vampire that had been aiming for her head sailed straight over her and in front of her path, rolling on the floor like a log Stina simply jumped over as she called out Dex’s name. The idiot had been running towards her, his eyes focused on her instead of the machine pointing its barrel right at him and Stina wanted to cry in frustration as he struggled to take off his own stupid punching gloves. Stina changed course as she ran, moving to stand in front of him, passing by  just as she heard the blast ring out through the night air and a sharp, howling whistle screamed and then sank into her bones as the harpoon the vampires had loaded pierced right through her stomach. 

The blood that poured out of her lips burned with bile as she coughed and heard someone scream her name from a thousand miles away. The voice getting fainter and fainter as the whistling scream turned into a ringing in her ears that drowned out someone’s horrified scream. Stina coughed but the movement sent hellfire through her body as the metal sticking out of her started to paint itself in her red blood. 

Stina fell to her knees, feeling light-headed but she knew she couldn’t die like this. Wouldn’t die like this. There was a fucking harpoon in her body she would not die like this . 

Spots filled her vision as she coughed again, sending more pain through her, she never realized she could even feel this much pain. She doubted the others thought so either. The great bitchy Stina Heks…crying realizing she was going to have to say goodbye to her parents. They were going to have to bury her. If the vampires left anything left to bury. If they bothered to bury her at all. 

They’d probably leave her here. Get away while they still could. 

At least she was useful in the end. 

At least she saved one person. 

Ironically the person who wished her dead the most. 

Dreams do come true, Stina mused and hated that those would be her last words as she held the harpoon with both hands and slumped forward. Her friends didn’t need to see her lifeless eyes and she deserved to at least die with some honor.

Chapter Text

Keefe tried to breathe but his throat felt dry, his chest grew colder despite his heart still beating. Everything was still in motion, still moving, but Stina managed to make them all freeze as she coughed. The blood pouring down her lips and landing on the floor in a splatter. 

As soon as the red touched the floor the vampire that had chased Stina down the hill sprang into action, like a rabid animal it tried to go to her but Dex yelled, something exploding inside of him, this rage like the crack of thunder against the sky as he intercepted the vampire. He swung his fist and the snapping of bone made Keefe want to vomit as the sound pierced his ears and all he could think about was the blood dripping down his arm and just how much of Stina he could see in the light of the fire. The red that spilled from the gaping hole inside her stomach. 

The vampire Dex hit squirmed on the floor, wailing in agony through broken sounds as its flapping jaw made horrible popping sounds like the thing was trying to heal itself but it kept falling apart. 

“Stina!” Someone screamed, maybe him, maybe Sophie. Keefe couldn't tell but there was a shortness in his lungs and a tight pulling in his chest as Dex stood over the vampire and stabbed a stake in its chest over and over again. 

Dex kept screaming and screaming with each stab he took at the vampire, pausing only to scream at the sky instead. The vampire’s mangled body beneath him as his wais touched the clouds above them, begging them to part so as to let Stina join the stars. 

Keefe’s heart wanted to break at the sight of his best friend’s misery. Even with blood on her hands Sophie covered her mouth as Stina’s heavy breathing filled their ears. Her final, short, labored wet breaths as blood seemed to pour endlessly down her lips. 

She staggered forward, almost gloriously, as she swayed. She would’ve fallen backwards, able to rest laying down like kings and knights after their time of glory was gone. To see the sky and the stars one last time. But she leaned forward, almost as if to hide her final moments, to keep them private and close to her chest, hidden away even to the end. 

Dex managed to catch her just before she fully hit the ground but she had pushed hard enough that the end of the harpoon pushed out the other end further and the horrid squelching sound it made had Keefe seeing stars as the world spun around and around. His empty stomach tried to cough up bile but he choked it down, feeling it burn his throat. 

He couldn’t stand it. 

This was all his fault. 

If he hadn’t taken that stake…

If she hadn’t eaten the damn thing…

Keefe ran to her then. Maybe to further shove himself into guilt and shame. Maybe to be there for her. Most likely for himself. He was greedy and selfish. 

His legs felt so heavy and weak and he wanted to bash his head in for it. How could he be so weak when his friend was dying? She’s dying but he can’t run any faster?? What was wrong with him? 

Anger. 

Anger overwhelmed his senses as his sluggish nature boiled his loathing, using it as the center of his flames as Sophie ran beside him. Faster somehow. She was always the fastest. 

All because he couldn’t kill. 

If he had just staked them when he had the chance. 

If he hadn’t looked in their eyes and seen human faces underneath the hood. 

“Stina!” Sophie called out as Dex, lost as to what to do, held Stina steady and Keefe accidentally met her hazy gaze. 

Is she alive?

Can she…see me?

Keefe couldn’t tell if the faint light was the fading life or if it was just the reflection of the fire in her eyes. Well, eye, her face had scratches, her clothes torn, black and red dyed everything to the point where he couldn't discern which were her freckles and which were splatters of blood. 

Dex tried to wipe her cheek but he simply spread the red down her face as Keefe’s heart sank hearing her breathing still. 

“Stina,” Keefe whispered but her eyes weren’t moving around. Of all the times Keefe’s natural knack for knowing someone else’s feelings to kick in, Keefe wasn’t sure if he wanted it or not. To know what she was going through in her final moments or shelter his mind from the thought of it all. Hide away from her suffering and try not to imagine her grave sitting silently next to another slain by Sencen's hand. 

It was-

“I just love fishing,” A voice chuckled, raspy like smoke brushing by his ear and Keefe turned around to see that disgusting black hood. The arms that reached up looked wrong. Black and angular, sharp and unnatural, with nails like claws that curled around the hood and threw it back to reveal the face of their enemy. 

“And it looks like I caught a big one.” A woman cracked and Keefe took in her appearance, long wild black hair, crazy blue eyes, rich brown skin. She looked older than Keefe would’ve thought a vampire would look like. Someone his mom’s age, maybe even older. 

They hardly looked at the faces of the Coven of the Neverseen, mostly because of their big hoods but the arrogant ones always take them off when they look at their lunch. 

The smell of iron was so strong Keefe thought he was going to pass out soon, he’d never been great about blood. But knowing this vampire was looking at his friend like she was some meal to have had him breathing hard as his heart raced in his chest. His fingers found his final stake as they grabbed it with a hold not even a vampire could break as Keefe’s version turned red. 

His mother had sent him here to die. His mother knew his friends would've come with him even if he tried to go alone. She knew they’d never be able to handle this many vampires at once and that one, if not all of them would die before the sun came up. 

Knowing she was behind all of this gave him the strength his needed to steady his voice as the vampire tilted her head to look at the stake he held as if it couldn’t end her life so simply with one good swing. 

“If you want to get her,” Keefe spoke quietly, his hands shaking as his eyes focused on the vampire as she met his gaze with such a laid back attitude it disgusted him to his core. “You’re going to have to go through me.” Keefe spat. 

He swung at her but she just smiled at him like the prospect of him ending her eternal life excited her more than living another day in the darkness, leaning into the attack as if to give him a better shot at killing her once and for all-

His stake fell to the ground as his hand flinched, something invisible smashing into it. All the air was pushed out of his lungs by the hand that stabbed itself into his side and grabbed a hold of his rib. 

A black hand made of shadows. 

Keefe coughed as the woman in front of him burst out in wild laughter as Keefe struggled to breathe, to move, to do anything but look between the woman, as she laughed and laughed, and at the hand that wasn’t attached to her body at all. 

He knew some vampires had special skills, almost magical powers granted to them in mysterious ways through means unknown but he’d never seen anything beyond Gethen’s telepathy. 

Keefe screamed as the shadowy fingers pulled at his rib and blood started to drip down his nose as Sophie’s scream terrified him more than the realization that he was about to be the next to fall. 

He was going to die. 

A metal crack broke through the ringing in his ears as Keefe put his hands on the shadow in his side, trying to get it off of him as his lungs couldn't take in any more air with the hand pushing at them. He was suffocating with nothing around but darkness. 

“No, no, no, no, no!” He begged as clicking rang all around in the air until the speeding hum of something recoiling brought his attention to the long rope attached to the end of the harpoon. 

Keefe turned as much as he could as Sophie and Dex were getting up to help him…but no one was holding down Stina as the harpoon inside of her pulled her back up as the gun they fired it from started to retrieve its weapon. 

Stina’s body jerked forward and she slammed into Keefe who in turn slammed into the vampire in front of him. 

“UMBER!” A man called out as Keefe and Stina rolled on the floor, Stina’s body trying to get past him but Keefe being in the way. She rolled over him and Keefe grabbed her hand at the last second, trying to hold her, to get her to stay with them but all he managed to do was get pulled forward himself. The burning pain in his side made him scream out, his grip on Stina’s hand tightening as the tearing of flesh filled his ears. The harpoon still trying to return but Keefe weighing it down, causing it to tear at Stina, breaking her like a paperdoll someone was ripping in half bit by bit. 

“Stina!” He pleaded, holding on with all his might, so scared to look into her eyes but he had to! He had to look and see her face if this really was the last time they'd ever see each other until the darkness took hold. 

Stina took in one little breath, the slightest hint of life still left in her and Keefe wished he could tell what she was feeling. To share in her pain and let her know she wasn't alone, that he was going to hold on till the bitter end because it was his fault this had all happened. 

“K…” Stina whispered and Keefe’s heart broke at the sound of her trying to say something, he strained his ears to listen over the blood rushing in his head or their friends screaming their names.

“I'm here,” he promised as blood dripped down his chin and slipped into his lips.

“Grab them.” A raspy voice commanded and Stina’s eyes looked past him as cold soft winds swept up the leaves around them like a tornado. Stina was pulled to him as the force pulling her back released and Keefe grabbed onto her as they started to rise off the ground. The wind becoming so dense Keefe could only see a swirling darkness as it closed in on all sides. 

Something whizzed past Keefe’s ear and the winds stopped for just a moment and Keefe swore he could make out the silhouette of a man in the mini tornado as the rollercoaster turned rocky as they sailed for a crash landing. 

Keefe shut his eyes and held Stina, but instead of the big splat he had been expecting as the tops of the trees grew closer at breakneck speeds, they sort of swooped like a leaf falling from a tree. Keefe landed on his side and he screamed as the pressure brought blood up his throat as he struggled to breath in air and cough out blood at the same time. 

Black claws grabbed at him and moved him onto his back so Keefe could look up and see the woman standing over him and swirling wind gathering together to make the shape of a man until he was as solid and real as Keefe was. 

“Hold the boy, I’ll get to him next.” The woman said and the man smiled at her like…well like how Grady smiled at Edaline. If Keefe’s head wasn’t so loopy and his throat raw from coughing up his own insides, he could’ve gagged at the fact that there was an actual vampire couple flirting over who they were going to eat first. 

“I thought you saved the bigger meals for last.” The man asked in his deep voice as Keefe failed to put up much of a fight against him. The guy was wicked strong and it only frustrated Keefe more. He was powerless right now and he hated it, hated how they were treating them like food!

“She’s still alive.” The woman whispered in astonishment, Keefe held still and looked over at Stina who lay on her back, that stupid harpoon jutting out of her stomach. “I can’t waste so much potential.” The woman tsked at the man as he laughed, actually laughed ! Keefe felt that anger bubbling up inside of him, knowing Stina was probably feeling it too if she could hear them right now. Keefe tried to elbow the man in the gut and the guy flinched, not expecting the blow but he punched Keefe in the side, right on the open wound and Keefe’s scream was cut off by the blood he choked on. 

“Let’s go two for one.” The man growled, his right hand grabbing Keefe by the neck while his left forced Keefe’s head to the side. The woman burst into gleeful laughter as she skipped over to Stina, cruelly grabbing her by the hair with her shadow arms, pulling Stina upright as the woman knelt as her other shadow arm grabbed at the harpoon and yanked it out. 

Keefe kicked his legs, unable to breathe, to scream, to fight, to do anything other than breathe out what little air he had left in his lungs as drops of crimson dripped down from his chin. The pathetic, high squeaking noises that were strangled out of him was all he could manage as his chest started to hurt. 

Stina coughed up blood and it ran down her chin and neck where the woman tilted her head back to get a better spot to bite. 

Stina’s eyes grew wide before her face scrunched up in anguish, her hands unable to even ball up into fists, all she could manage was a small tremor in retaliation as the woman held her steady. 

“St………st….!” Keefe wheezed, his vision going hazing. Clones appeared, swishing and swaying, spiraling across his eyes as something pierced his skin like a needle as suddenly his sight became crystal clear again as burning poured into his veins. 

Red hot fire was injected into him like someone shoved burning metal into the bite on his neck. Keefe tried to inhale but he got nothing as he kicked his legs, managing to get some leverage on his right foot, his shoe getting stuck on the man’s belt for a moment before it slipped off. 

The guy released his hold on Keefe’s head for a second and Keefe used the opening to slam his head back into the man’s nose as he shouted and let him go. 

Keefe crashed to the floor but somehow the open air on the bite on his neck felt like pure alcohol being poured in. All Keefe could do was scream what sharp, quick breaths he could gather to scream with and curl himself into a ball on the floor. He tried putting his hands on the wound but when he touched his neck he jerked and twisted, the agony flaring up, cranking up the pain to unbelievable new heights and Keefe wondered for a moment if this was what Stina was feeling. If on top of being stabbed through she was experiencing this pain too. What were these vampires even thinking? Were they enjoying watching them suffer? Were they laughing right now as spots filled Keefe’s vision as lights danced in the sky. 

Bright beams cut through the darkness but Keefe had rolled onto his bad side again and the tears he cried weren’t enough to properly express his anguish. Black figures dashed away as the lights got brighter and brighter, closer. 

Is this the light?

I didn’t make it…did it?

Another voice joined the screams crawling out of Keefe’s throat and then a whole chorus of voices, spinning and swirling all over the place. 

“Keefe!” Someone called out, it sounded like Wylie, but that…that couldn’t be right. Wylie was…where was Wylie??

Running. 

Someone was running. 

The light was so bright as it pointed right at Keefe, his screams turned to sobs as the fire crawled into every corner of his body, transforming him with every part of his blood that burned away. 

“Keefe!” Someone much closer called, they grabbed his shoulder and laid him on his back and off his side. 

“Oh my god…” Someone else whispered in horror as Keefe shut his eyes. 

“No, no. Stay with me man! Stay with me!” A familiar voice begged as the hands shook him gently and Keefe wanted to sob if he had any tears left in him to cry. 

“It huts…” Keefe whispered as someone wiped his face. 

“I know, I know,” the voice said, it wobbled and broke as they pushed back his hair. “I know, stay with me Keefe. Stay with me.” 

“Fitz?” Keefe asked but before he could get his answer something pushed up his through and he started to choke on bile and blood as someone to Keefe right screamed. 

“Get him on his side! Fitz, get him on his side!” Wylie commanded and Keefe was pushed over on his good side and the gunk in his mouth spewed out al over. 

“Wylie.” Someone Keefe didn’t know called out. 

“Not now!”

“Wylie, you need my help.” The voice said. 

“Just go!”

“Please,”

“You’ve done enough!!”

“I didn’t know this was going to happen!”

“Just leave! ” Wylie screamed as Fitz rubbed Keefe’s back. 

“Wylie…” Biana whispered and Keefe could hear the rustling of someone kicking up leaves, probably Wylie as he turned to face Biana. 

“What?!”

“...Stina,” Biana said softly, her voice stretching, echoing as more shouts started to tornado around and around until the world finally went...

Chapter Text

‘Stina’

Stina was cold. 

She hated being cold. 

There was the smell of dirt and the sound of metal rattling…some water. 

Why was there water???????

There shouldn’t be water here

Where was she???

‘Stina’ 

A sweet voice called and Stina blinked, trying to gather herself as a stinging in the back of her head subsided as she remembered where she was. 

She was in the forest…

Of course she was in a forest, this was the Vacker’s big dumb backyard. 

Technically it was just ‘part of the land’ they inherited or whatever but, bottom line was the Vacker’s were stinkin’ rich because of their big stupid family being big and stupidly good at both business and vampire hunting. 

‘Stina’

There was that voice again…bright and kind, like a melody in a song about all that was still good in the world. 

Like that’s not super corny to say

“Stina,” Someone laughed and Stina turned around, coming to a very quick stop as she looked at Biana who dropped her shirt to the floor. Stina swallowed hard as her eyes followed the motion and then slowly took in the rest of Biana Vacker and her fierce beauty. 

Stina was pretty sure she was taking too long to say something and what she was doing counted as ogling, but as Biana shook out her hair, dropping her headband on the pile of clothes at her feet Stina wasn’t sure she could even speak English anymore. Not when someone as hot as Biana Vacker was standing right in front of her looking like that !

“Sooo are you just going to keep staring or are you just trying to chicken out?” Biana laughed, crossing her arms, or rather, hugging herself as the cold air passed through them and Stina shuttered. Both from the cold and Biana’s very…naturalistic fashion choices…

“I’m not chickening out!” Stina defended as Biana raised a brow, walking towards her as Stina stood still, unsure if she’d look like a chicken for stepping back. Her eyes couldn’t focus on Biana’s face until Biana was right in front of her and tugging at her jacket’s sleeve. 

“Then join me.” Biana said in a low, sweet whisper, gentle fingers tugging at Stina’s collar. Stina let out a groan in the back of her throat, unsure why she set up this stupid dare to begin with. 

The details of it all were fuzzy and something in her mind was making it hard to remember but she knew she and Biana were here for one thing tonight as Stina dropped her jacket and hopped on one foot to get her shoes and socks off quickly. Biana was walking towards the big pond she was determined to call a lake, the dark water lapping at her feet as Biana squealed and stepped back. 

“Augh! It's cold!” Biana squirmed, shivering as Stina kicked off her jeans and walked up beside her. 

“It's not that cold.” Stina huffed, nudging Biana lightly but feeling so embarrassed by the skin to skin contact. “Who’s trying to chicken out now?” Stina teased as Biana looked her up and down, more down than up but Stina wasn’t complaining. It gave her a chance to look Biana over; her strong arms, the curves- GOD ! Focus damn it!

Stina tore her gaze away and towards the water as she cleared her throat and tried to just step into the water to get this stupid skinny dipping dare over with before she made a total idiot of herself.

The water wasn’t cold at all. 

It was fucking freezing . 

Stina screamed as the cold hit her body like a bolt of lightning and she stumbled back straight into Biana who burst out into laughter, reaching up to steady Stina by the shoulders. 

“HA! Who said it’s not cold huh?” Biana cackled as Stina glared at her. 

“It just took me by surprise!” Stina complained but tried to hold her ground as Biana shoved her towards the water. 

“Then go back in.”

“I don’t want to,” Stina said stubbornly. 

“But I thought you said it’s not cold.” Biana insisted, still pushing Stina playfully. 

“I just need a second-” Stina insisted but she lost her balance trying to push against Biana and stumbled forward into the frigid waters as she screamed and danced around. Biana squealed and tried to back away from Stina’s splashing but Stina grabbed her arm and yanked her in. 

Biana crashed into her and they both fell back into the dark waters, scrambling to stand back up as the cold splashed all over their bodies sending them into shock. 

“ Uuuuugh , whose idea was this?!” Stina whined as she shivered and Biana crouched down to splash her. 

“Yours!” Biana snapped as Stina covered her face and tried to move away as Biana kept splashing her. 

“Would you cut that out?!” Stina cried as she ducked down and started to splash back as Biana yelped, moving to stand further in but Stina followed her. 

“Ugh! Stina, my hair!” Biana snapped as Stina scoffed. 

“Your hair’s already wet.” Stina pointed out but that just earned her a splash to the face. 

“Real mature Glitterface,” Stina groaned, wiping her face with the water that was now waist high for her. She blinked open her eyes as Biana shook out her hair again and Stina had to screw her jaw shut to stop it from dropping to the bottom of the pond and making her look like a total guy. 

Yeah, okay, so she was checking Biana out. It wasn’t like Biana wasn’t totally doing the same to her! Even in the low light of the full moon Stina could see Biana’s eyes wandering just as much as Stina’s were. Though Stina’s eyes seemed to insist on jumping between one point of focus then another as the moonlight doused Biana in such sweet lighting it made it impossible not to be near her. 

Stina hesitated slightly, taking a small step closer to Biana but Biana moved away, sinking deeper into the water until it was just below her neck. Stina looked away feeling ashamed of herself, questioning what was wrong with her right now. 

A little voice whispered to her in her ear something of darkness and anguish but another voice cut straight through the haunting whispers. 

“Come on,” Biana called and like a siren was speaking  Stina was hooked onto her voice, doing as Biana commanded and bashfully pushing herself further into the cold water. Walking slowly along the bottom until she was a little bit apart from where Biana stood, giving her the space she probably wanted. But as usual Stina couldn’t predict what Biana was up to. 

Biana moved closer until Stina was sure only the slightest nudge would press them together. 

“What are you thinking about?” Biana asked dangerously as Stina tried to swallow down her nerves back under her stomach that felt like it wasn’t even there. 

“...You.” Stina answered honestly and Biana’s brows shot up in surprise. 

“You’re all I’m thinking about,” Stina repeated herself, looking at the gorgeous girl in front of her and wondering how on earth anyone in freezing water could look so damn good. 

“You’re a flirt Stina Heks,” Biana scoffed but Stina raised her hand and cautiously hesitated as she reached for Biana. When she didn’t move away, Stina brushed a wet strand of hair away from her face. Pushing it back along with the others as Stina followed the sparkle in Biana’s intoxicating teal eyes, somehow they looked even more dazzling in the moonlight which was totally unfair. 

“So what if I am?” Stina asked, leaning in, daring Biana with her actions and words as she whispered, “What are you gonna do about it?” 

Biana reached up, pacing her hands on either side of Stina’s face and Stina knew what she was thinking, could practically read it off of her heartbeat as it raced through her palms and sank its rhythm into the core of Stina’s soul. 

“Lean down.” Biana demanded, sounding seriously annoyed as she moved, wrapping her arms around Stina’s neck, trying to hoist herself up to meet Stina’s lips. 

Stina chuckled as she gently placed her hands on Biana’s sides, feeling Biana shiver slightly under her touch but moving in closer. 

“Whatever you say Glitters.” Stina teased but was cut off of saying any more as Biana kissed her, her lips tasting like the water and the earth and heaven and the serene moonlight that bathed them just as much as the water did. Stina closed her eyes and leaned into the feeling as Biana held them closer until they were practically two puzzle pieces clicking into place. 

Biana tugged at her, their lips still pressed against one another, breaking apart just once for air when Biana suddenly pulled Stina completely into the darkness for an underwater kiss. 

Stina tried to hold onto Biana, to keep her close but like the water itself she seemed to dissolve and leave Stina on her own in the black as Stina sank deeper and deeper into the pond. Light escaped her sight but she still somehow knew she was in the water and not just stuck in a dark void. 

Little spots colored her vision and at first Stina wondered if she had maybe closed her eyes but then she moved towards the dancing spots and realized they were lights. She swam towards them, kicking her legs until she bumped into a dark figure silhouetted by the flashing lights as they pulsed on and off. 

Music?

She was hearing music underwater and as she looked around she realized she wasn’t just bumping into some random dude hanging out at the bottom of Biana’s stupid pond. There was a whole underwater rave happening with people jumping and dancing, wiggling around to the steady bum-bum-bum-ba-dum-bum blasting out of the speakers. 

People had glowing bracelets and necklaces made out of glow-in-the-dark sea shells and old fishing lines. Electric eels swam above acting as strobe lights, flashing on and off as they moved in zig-zag patterns over the jumping crowd. 

Mermaids. 

These people were mermaids!

Stina gawked at their tails as they swished and swirled, stirring up the water as she danced and Stina almost felt like she was the weird one for having two legs instead of just one gorgeous, iridescent tail. 

The shimmer of the flights bouncing off the scales flashed into her eyes leaving her in a deep trance, impossible to look away from as bodies shifted to the rhythm rippling through the water. Beautiful girls laughed and celebrated like this party could last forever, like the song playing would go on and on until they finally felt like stopping the immortal dance. 

Stina wanted to join them, wanted to swim and sway to the music, like a beating heart that called to her, sang to her, beckoned her to merge with the crowd and dance forever with flashing lights and smiling faces. 

No words were spoken but people’s eyes seemed to clear to her as they smiled and waved her over, wanting her to join in just as much as Stina’s heart begged to be just one in a full crowd, another smiling face, just a normal girl at a party. No name, no reputation, friends all around her. Stina moved towards them, listening for that sound she’s known all her life, the rushing water in her ears whispering their hearts desire. She wanted to feel what they felt, take their whispering emotions and try to fill the space in her chest that always seemed to be an outsider. Push down the insecurities she held and cover them up until their cries could finally be muffled. Until there was only music left in her heart instead of black tar. 

A hand grabbed her wrist and Stina turned sharply, bubbles swirling and clearing to reveal one of the mermaids from the crowd. She couldn’t make out his face all that well with the darkness and fleeting lights but she could see his eyes, how could she not when they were such a welcoming shade of periwinkle. 

She watched his eyes, waiting for him to say something, to speak but maybe he couldn’t. They were underwater, it would make sense if he-

“Stina?” Well he could speak after all, he just took his sweet time doing it. 

“Do I know you?” She asked but immediately regretted her decision to speak as water filled her mouth and started to choke her, why it didn’t do that before she had no idea. It didn’t make any logical sense but neither did a mermaid rave and- oh god she was drowning. 

Stina covered her mouth like that would do her any good as bubbles poured out from between her fingers. She was losing air. Her chest burned when she was so sure she was supposed to be feeling it compress, the blackness of the party swirled and Stina saw flashes of a face. A sickening smile and a black hand reaching for her. Her body started to ache like it had been trying to warn her all day but it somehow passed her senses. She tried to swallow but there was just too much, too much water, too much darkness, too much light. It stung her eyes and made her want to cry, she started to curl up as a hand tried to keep her steady. 

Arms wrapped around her and started to pull her in a direction, a different room, lights swirled and mixed with the black, turning ugly and muddy colors and it hurt to even look at them. 

A door burst open and she could suddenly feel air on her skin, someone turned her head to the side and pried her hands away from her face as Stina coughed. Her throat burned as water, thick and heavy, spilled from her lungs and onto the bed beside her. 

Why was she on a bed she was just underwater??????

Stina turned to turn her head to look around but someone gently kept her head where it was until the water was all coughed up. 

She groaned as her heart raced in her chest, finally able to look around she realized she could only half recognize the room she was in. It was messy and cluttered and full of all her trinkets and keepsakes but there was a big glaring difference. And she wasn’t quite sure how to address the mermaid in the room. 

Merman? Well he’s not a man he’s just a boy but what’s the proper way to refer to him???? Merboy??

“You okay?” He asked and she knew his voice well, with the dim moonlight coming in through her window she could see him much clearly now but…she wasn’t sure if she wanted to say his name just yet. Names were powerful things, they made stray cats seem kind and familiar, they made villains known even if the enemy was the one pointing the finger, names made things real. And she was scared to make him real because the real him would surely run from her again. Leave her alone in this room by the time she opened her eyes and ignore her as if they never shared a kiss. 

“I’m fine.” She groaned, her voice grating against her throat like gravel chunks in a tumbler. 

She reached for the nightstand, trying to find the glass of water she always had there but it was gone and all her fingers touched was the wooden surface with all its little bumps and chips from years of wear and tear. Living in the room just as much as she did. 

The bed dipped with weight and Stina looked over at the boy with the gentle, dripping curls and watched drops of water streak down his face. She sat up and figured since they were both soaking her sheets through and she’d have to wash them anyway…

“Sit right,” Stina told him as she reached her hand out and swept his hair away from his forehead, cupping his face and finding it impossible to let him go now that she’s touched him, felt his warmth. Warmth that could never be for her. “You act like you’ve never been on a bed before.” She snorted and he scoffed as he shifted to sit properly but it wasn’t exactly easy with the whole tail situation. 

“I don’t need to put you in a bathtub right? Cause if you die on me I can’t flush you.”

“You’d flush me if I died?” He scoffed, louder this time as he pushed his hair back pointlessly as he shook his hair out right after. 

“That’s where all the shit goes right?” Stina smirked and he frowned at her but she didn’t want to laugh at her own comeback, that was too lame. 

She tried to stand up to maybe grab a towel or something for her hair, it wouldn’t help, her hair would need to much more hair-care than just a towel but she wasn’t sure she’d have time between all the changing scenery. He stopped her by grabbing her wrist again and Stina stopped to stare at him because once, sure she’d understand him stopping her, but twice?

“What?” She asked and he looked just as confused as she did. 

“What?” He asked back stupidly and Stina looked at him the way anyone would look at anybody with such a low IQ. 

“I asked you first, you can’t just say what back.” 

“Well I said it anyway,” He stumbled and Stina squinted to make sure she was seeing his idiocy right. Unfortunately her vision was as perfect as ever. Take that vitiligo. 

“I’m just gonna grab a towel,” Stina told him, arching a very judgemental brow as he looked away bashfully, still not letting her go.

He wasn’t strong enough to actually hold her down, he just got her by surprise, she could break free any time she wanted to but his touch revealed secrets to her. Secrets he didn’t speak but his heart could say. In his eyes she could see them churning, floating above the confused waters as they whirlpool in his stomach. If he wanted her, he would have to speak those words. 

 “Stina,” he whispered and she could feel it then, the rush of water making its way up her arm, through the contact between their skin and into her heart. Allowing her access to his secrets and his worries. 

She needed him to say it first. She couldn’t play make believe a second time, her heart was too fragile for that. 

“Stay?” He asked and she wanted to melt, to comply, to hold him and ask him what took him so fucking long to just ask her such a stupidly simple question. But she had to be strong. 

Why?

“I’m not going anywhere,” She promised but comfortably sat back down. His hand glided down from her wrist and intertwined his hand with hers. 

“I know I just…”

“Just?”

“I don’t know,” He huffed, laughing at himself as his kind, gentle eyes shimmered with truth. “I just want to stay like this a little longer.”

“Exactly like this?” She teased and he rolled his eyes at her antics. 

“Cause I don’t know about you fish boy but it’s more comfortable to lay down to lean against something than just sitting up. It’s probably different underwater but here on land there’s a couple of different rules.” She rambled on, knowing the exact face he was making and loving his annoyance as it sounded through as clear as a bell. 

“You know what I mean.” He grumbled but she leaned in, tilting her head to the side. Even while sitting she could still lean over him and the way he had to look up, even just a little, made her smile. 

“Do I?” She challenged and his eyes clicked with recognition. She avoided his gaze by looking down at their hands, admiring all the cute freckles on his skin and noting the funny ways they were different. For one her hand was bigger. 

“Stina,” he whispered and she dared herself to be brave and look into his eyes but his gaze was distracted. 

“My eyes are all the way up here bolt brains,” She smirked as his eyes fluttered up to meet hers. 

“Eyes up here Stina,” He mocked when she paused to take him in. 

Touche fish boy

“Sorry sashimi but your tail is kinda distracting.” She admitted as she admired the scales and the pretty way his tail swished. 

“It’s in the way,” he muttered and Stina opened her mouth, probably to say something smart, or stupid, or make another fish joke but he reached up to grab at a necklace she didn’t realize he had. And trust she would have definitely noticed it before because flabby stomach or not, she had been checking him out. Not all hot guys need abs. 

He took off the necklace and Stina honestly expected a flash of light or sparkly glitter to blind her but as Dex reached past her to put down the necklace Stina reached for it. 

“Wait hold on Ariel, how does the necklace thingy work?” She asked, curious because if she could get her hands on one of these she could maybe be a mermaid too and having the ability to not drown and have a really pretty tail was something she needed to know about stat. 

“Stina,” Dex groaned and she snapped her eyes to attention as the necklace dropped onto her nightstand with a jingle of shells and jewels. 

She had to admit, he was cute when he was pouty. 

“What?” She grinned. “Girls like mermaids.”

“So what does that say about me?” He challenged and Stina leaned back on the bed as she held his face in her hands. 

“I’ll give you a guess wise guy,” She whispered as he leaned down and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as their weight shifted around, trying to find a good comfortable way to make out that would keep him on top of her like his. Holding her in his arms like she was all that mattered in the world. Like holding her was what his arms were meant to do from the start. Warmth moved up her spine as his hands shifted upon her skin, lips moving in tandem to the rhythm of their hearts. Her hands went from playing with his hair to his shoulders, feeling his heart beating under her palms. 

“Dex,” She whispered as his lips parted from hers for just one sweet unknowing moment before returning to silence her. Trailing down as she tried to nudge his shoulder. 

“Dex.” She tried as his lips moved to her jaw and suddenly it felt like there was too much weight on her body. Something dark took hold of her as the sheets felt like hands, grabbing at her, trying to pull at her. Her mind screamed and the shadows turned to claws, reaching for her as she started to flail. Pushing against him when his lips brushed against her neck and fire poured through her body. 

“STOP!” She screamed and he pushed off of her suddenly but the sheets had tangled themselves with her wrists and bolted her down. She struggled and fought but there was too much weight still. She needed to move, needed to get free and-

“Stina! Stina, it's okay, it's okay. Stina, look at me,” Dex called as he pushed the blankets to the side and held her face in his hands. 

“Dex,” She whispered as her vision blurred and a sob ripped through her chest. 

“Dex.”

“I’m here, it’s okay. You’re okay Stina, I’m sorry I-”

“Stay.” She pleaded. 

“I’m right here.” He promised but she shook her head as she moved away from him, curling up as she buried her face in her arms. 

“No you’re not.” She sobbed as her heart flickered out. 

“I’m not what?” A voice asked and Stina looked up to see Biana standing before her. 

“What?” Stina blinked

“I said what first you can’t just say it back,” Biana scoffed as Stina tried to make sense of what was happening as a tiny hiccup bubbled through her blubbering lips. 

“Hey,” Biana whispered, demeanor changing as she knelt before Stina. She tried to reach for her but Stina moved her face away, flinching from the kindness being shown to her. 

“I’m not going to hurt you.” Biana promised and Stina hated how much she believed her. 

“You can’t promise that.” Stina mumbled softly as Biana wiped her tears, moving to sit beside her. 

“What are you doing?” Stina asked as Biana opened her arms. 

“You do know what a hug is right?” Biana had to ask and Stina frowned but leaned into her touch anyway. Stina sighed and laughed as her tears seemed to stupid and foolish, crying over some boy. But Dex wasn’t just any boy. Stupid annoyance that he was. 

“Where did you go?” Stina asked, her voice echoing in the hallway as nearby, a hospital monitor beeped steadily. 

“What?” Biana asked, looking down at Stina as Stina rested in her lap, looking up at her. 

“You left,” Stina reminded her and Biana brushed her hair away from her face. 

“Then wake up.”

“What?” Stina asked, sitting up and turning her body to face Biana’s as Biana cupped her face. 

“Find me when you wake up and give this back.” Biana instructed slowly like Stina might be missing something big here. 

“Give what back?” Stina asked but was cut off by Biana’s kiss as their lips reunited and Stina felt a wave of exhaustion slam into her as she started to fall backwards. Biana’s lips parted from her own as Stina’s vision grew hazy. 

“Promise.” Biana said sternly. 

“I promise.” Stina hummed as the beeping got louder. 

“Good, now get up you big oaf.” 

Then the line went flat.

Chapter Text

There was a strange pounding in his head, like someone decided to start using it as a trampoline. There were all these shapes and colors. Blobs all swirling. 

Keefe Keefe Keefe!!

‘What’ he wanted to ask. 

KEEFE KEEFE KEEFE

Five more minutes.

KEEEEEEEEEEEEFE

“WHAT?” He shouted, sitting up quickly but that just made his stomach roll as he flopped backwards to lay back down. 

“Keefe?” Fitz called and Keefe blinked, rubbing at his eyes and looked up to see three familiar faces looking down at him. 

“Fitz?” Keefe whispered softly, looking into the eyes of his best friend and realizing he totally just yelled at him. 

“You okay man?” Fitz asked gently and Keefe winced. 

“I’m…” He tried to lie and say he was fine but it was hard to lie when Sophie was also leaning over him, looking at him with those big worried eyes. Her, Fitz, and Biana were all looking at him like he’d finally lost it. 

“My head hurts.” He admitted and Fitz offered him a small smile. 

“We can turn the volume down, it’s okay.” Fitz shrugged like it was all cool and Keefe sat up, slowly this time. 

“What?” 

“It’s fine, we’ve seen this movie a million times already.” Biana smiled, brushing it all off in that aloof manner of hers. 

“What movie?” Keefe blinked as Sophie watched him silently. Keefe avoided her piercing stare, knowing she could read his mind just by looking into his eyes, he gathered his surroundings and tried to make sense of what was happening. 

Keefe was lying in bed beside her, her body next to his as they watched a movie together with all their friends in a room Keefe thought he had only ever imagined. But now his imagination was running wild as she held his hand and Keefe had to try to not shiver as her warmth filled his soul; she’d stopped watching the movie and Keefe felt embarrassed to admit as soon as he noticed her there he stopped paying attention all together. Their friends blurred into the background until it was just her he could focus on. 

She scooted closer to him and Keefe's heart started to hammer in his chest as the burning question kept rattling in his mind, ‘what are you thinking’ .

The question never mattered to him as much as the feelings behind the words. But she was making her emotions clearer to him than she ever had before as she lifted her hand to caress his cheek and the other rested on his hip. 

Normally you'd think their roles should be reversed and Keefe should've been the smooth one, he should've been driving her crazy by moving his hand up and down her side, moving closer and closer, leaning in just close enough to leave a whisper of a gap between them. And the desire to kiss her burned inside him so badly he gave up on resisting at all.

He kissed her, resting his back against the pillows as she pushed him against them, her hands touching his torso and chest, the stupid ape in his head wanted more than just that but he knew that would be pushing her too far, as much as he wanted it he wanted her more. 

His heart pounded in his chest as she kissed him deeply, finding a new level of desperation in each new angle. It was only a few moments before her hands snaked up underneath his shirt, and for a moment, he almost stopped to ask her if it was okay, before remembering that these were actions she was taking.

Wow. She was a little bit too amazing. It was so good, it felt dangerous.

Her hands were firm as they confidently explored his newly exposed skin. She leaned back from the kiss for a moment, staring in awe, running one of her hands down his chest and over his abs. She dove back in for one more mind-numbing kiss before she fiddled with the edge of her own shirt, clearly about to pull it over her head.

“Wait,” Keefe said suddenly, stopping her. “Are you sure all of this is okay? I mean, I know we’re not really thinking, but…”

“Then don’t think,” Sophie teased warmly.

“You should though. You should think about what you want,” Keefe said seriously. The last thing he wanted was to push her somewhere she wasn’t ready to go.

“I know what I want,” Sophie said in a seductive voice he didn’t know she had in her. Her eyes raked over him deliberately. “All that matters is what you want.”

Keefe definitely knew what he wanted.

But he also knew they needed to exercise some amount of self control, and for some reason, it was going to have to be him and not her. “Sophie,” he said, sitting up slightly from where he’d been pushed back against the pillows. “We should talk. Talking is important.”

“Alright then,” Sophie agreed with a nod, sitting back. “If that’s what you want.”

She needed to stop talking about what he wanted. What he wanted was the entire problem here, and exactly what he was trying to manage. “So…” Keefe said, trying to start a conversation, but his eyes kept wandering back to her lips, remembering the feel of their mouths being sealed together.

“So,” Sophie agreed, and when Keefe looked her in the eye, tracking her line of vision, she was most certainly not thinking about starting a new conversation either.

Goodness, this was more difficult than it should have been. “The movie,” Keefe prompted.

Real smart Sencen

“The one we stopped watching because we found more fun activities?” Sophie clarified, raising an eyebrow and looking him over meaningfully. Naturally, his heart rate kickstarted again.

“Yeah,” Keefe said shakily. He needed to get it together. “That one.”

“Keefe,” Sophie said meaningfully, giving him a look. “Do you want me to kiss you right now?”

Keefe tried to make it seem like his breathing had not quickened. It definitely had. “I… yes, I want you to…”

“Okay then,” Sophie said, “can I?”

This was the part where he was supposed to say no.

He opened his mouth to say no.

“Yes.”

He was very bad at this.

Sophie was back on top of him in seconds, pressing him back down into his bed, and he’d hardly registered that she was straddling his hips before she made it impossible to think anymore, her mouth migrating off of his mouth. “Sophie,” Keefe whispered, not sure why he was saying her name. To alert her to the fact that they should be careful? To plead with her to keep doing what she was doing? To simply speak her name into the universe, because it was deserved?

His hands buried themselves in her hair, playing with her golden curls, as she hungrily moved her lips back to his, desire burning through both of them like a wildfire. Sophie slid an arm under him and Keefe shivered, his mind going absolutely blank beyond any ideas or thoughts besides ideas and thoughts involving her. 

What stupid movie? Who was even here? Why did he even care when she was kissing him so? 

Sophie suddenly rolled, picking him up with strength he didn’t know she had, which always made a girl hotter, and rolled to flip them over so he could be on top for his turn but he slipped out of her hold and fell off the bed. 

He startled and started to try and move but his fall wasn’t a very long one as he was buried in leaves that smelled of dirt and mud and rain. One even got in his mouth. 

“Oh! Ew!” He gagged as he popped his head out of the leaf pile and spat the thing out, blinking as the abrupt change in location cost him a seriously hot make out with the most amazing girl in the world. 

“Sophie?” He called out, looking up at where he just fell down from but the sky looked all weird and murky, it made his head hurt again. Keefe shook his head and tried to brush any leaves out of his hair and remaining clothes. At least he still had pants- where are his shoes????

Sophie didn’t take off his shoes did she??

No, she just took his shirt off.

….he’s not getting that back is he? 

No, probably not

A worthy sacrifice for a make out. 

Speaking of make outs…

“Sophie?” He called, walking around and cupping his hands over his mouth as his own voice echoed back at him. The forest around him was foggy and gloomy and seriously depressing. Leaves crunched under his feet as Keefe puts his hands on his hips. 

He always told Sophie she turned his world upside down but he hadn’t meant it so literally. 

‘Keefe’

Keefe stopped waking, turning slowly to the direction he thought he heard that voice coming from as a chill ran down his spine. 

‘Keefe.’ 

“Mom?”

‘Keefe, focus.’ her cold voice called out to him as Keefe backed up, trying to get away from her voice but it seemed to follow him, getting louder and louder. 

‘Keefe, focus.’ 

“Go away!” He snapped, his heart racing for a totally different reason now than before. 

‘Keefe! Focus!’

“Stop it!” He put his hands over his ears as she started to laugh, her crackle piercing his ears like a ringing he couldn’t get rid off as he started to curl in on himself. 

“No, no, stop it! You’re not here!” He yelled, trying to be louder than her and hoping that would dispel her like the fog that kept rolling in, closer and closer. 

“GO AWAY!” Keefe screamed as the ringing got louder and louder until it was just one long ringing tone, dull and flat as he yelled, squeezing his eyes shut. 

“STOP IT!” A voice snapped and the air made a voice as a blast of wind rushed over him.

Keefe opened his eyes, he had curled himself up into a ball and all he could see were the leaves in front of him on the floor as a pair of shoes stood before him. 

“STOP IT!” The man yelled as the hissing wind growled at him but the man didn’t move. 

‘He mine!’ The woman snapped and the man scoffed. 

“Never.” 

Cassius?

Keefe looked up, lowering his hands but when he did so the man was gone. The fog had pushed back and Keefe was alone again. 

“Dad?” Keefe called out but all that answered was the wind. Keefe shut his eyes, trying to block his parents out of his mind but the soft brush of the wind turned into a hand that pushed back his hair, gentle and kind. 

“Come on…” A voice whispered and Keefe opened his eyes only to be greeted by nothing again. 

“This is getting annoying.” Keefe muttered as he dragged his hand down his face and started walking. 

It wasn’t like a rabbit was going to hop by so Keefe could follow him and no yellow roads or hiking trails were popping up so Keefe stuck his hands in his back pockets and walked. 

And walked.

And walked.

After maybe a minute of walking he got annoyed with the silence. 

“Sophie!” He called out again, figuring maybe she’d reply since so many people were in this forest already. 

Unless she’s invisible?

He closed his eyes and continued walking. 

“Soooooophie!” He called out, if he closed his eyes then-

Keefe’s foot slipped out from under him as something grabbed his ankle and hoisted him up in the air, everything going topsy turvy as something suspended him in the air. 

“Woah!” He yelped, waving around like a piñata  as voices muttered and squeaking like the creaking of the branches above him. 

“Woah no, no, no, no! No Keefe-piñatas today.” Keefe huffed, his chest feeling a little tight as the blood rushed to his head. “I am not full of candy!” He yelled as he wiggled, trying to look at what had him by the ankle. 

A rope.

A black wiggling rope was clenched around his ankle and Keefe frowned at it. 

“What the shit?” He muttered as a voice called to him from above- or below?

“Get up.”

“What?” Keefe asked, hanging loose again to look for the voice on the ground but there was no one there. 

“Get. Up.” Stina commanded and Keefe looked up- down?? Ugh- he looked at his ankle to see Stina standing on the branch beside the one he was dangling from, her hand was on the tree’s sturdy trunk and she was giving him one of her disapproving Stina-glares. 

“What are you doing here??” He asked as Stina’s eyes narrowed at him.

“Keefe,” Stina called but the Stina on the tree didn’t move her lips. Slowly Keefe looked to the floor he was yoinked off of to see…..Stina?

“Keefe,” Stina whispered, her navy blue eyes wide with fear as blood dripped out of her nose. “That’s not me.” 

Keefe’s eyes went wide and he looked back to the Stina on the tree as her eyes turned from blue to red. Fangs poked out from her lips and Keefe got to see them up close and personal as she crouched and hissed at him, a guttural roar coming from her throat in a way that didn’t seem human. 

She jumped off the tree and Keefe followed her with his eyes as the red-eyed Stina tackled the real Stina. Both girls flailing as they rolled on the ground and started to fight below him. 

“Stina?!” Keefe yelled but the Stinas were busy trying to tear each other apart as Keefe tried to curl up and grab at the rope on his ankle. 

“No, no, no, no. Come on. Come on!” He groaned, why did this always look so much easier in the movies?!? 

His fingers pried at the black rope but the knot was literally impossible to see, black gunk stained his fingers as the yelling below got more frantic. 

“Damnit! DAMNIT!” Keefe cursed, panic rushing through him as he reached for his foot instead. If guys in the movies could always pop their thumb out of place to get out of handcuffs…

Don’t be scared. Don’t be scared, just do it. Just-

“AAAAAAAAUGH!!!” Keefe screamed as he yanked at his foot, thinking faster was better as pain shot up his leg. He covered his mouth with his arm and screamed into that, muffling the sound as tears sprang to his eyes. He rocked back and forth before helplessly tugging at his pants, trying to wiggle loose. Something tore, ripping slowly as Keefe pulled and pulled until- RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP!!!

Keefe fell free of the rope and landed right on his side with the wind knocked straight out of his whole body. Pain rocketed throughout all his senses but he had no air to even muster up part of a scream, all he could manage was a wheeze of defiance as he turned slowly onto his stomach. Looking up as the two Stinas fought, the vampire looking monstrously bigger than the real Stina. 

Stina, their Stina, was on the ground, trying to wrestle away the monster that wore her face, struggling to keep her at arms length. Stina glanced over at him and her eyes tried to communicate something he didn’t understand. 

“Get up,” She whispered as Keefe tried his hardest to suck in breath. 

“Stina,” He said softly, staggering to his feet like a deer on ice, slipping and stumbling the whole way up. 

“She needs you,” Stina said, ignoring the monster trying to claw her face off, ignoring the massive fight going on right now to look at Keefe with such intensity in her eyes there could only be one answer to who ‘she’ was. 

“Sophie?” Keefe asked horsley and Stina gave him a smile, a small one, a nod too which was odd. Stina’s smile didn’t look right, maybe because he had never seen her smile at him before.  

With a roaring shout Stina kicked the monster in the middle, cracking straight through its body, shards of glass flying everywhere, shimmering in the light. The monster staggered back as Stina stood and tackled it out of sight, the two rolling in the dark fog as Keefe tried to run after them only to be met with more woods, more fog, and no more pants. At least it wasn't too cold for pantless weather. It was…what do you even call pantless weather???

Au naturel

Ew, NO. 

Never share that with anyone. 

He missed Sophie.

“Foster!” Keefe called, deciding to just start walking again. As much as he wanted to go and find Stina, after that big kick she gave the monster, there was no way she needed any of his help. Stina could handle any vampire on her own with legs like that. 

“Foster!” Keefe called again. 

“Mysterious Miss F!” That one made him laugh. She had always frowned at the stupid nicknames he gave her and her reactions just made him want to come up with even better ones to see how she’d react to them. From the moment Keefe saw her he knew he wanted to be close to her, know her and all her faces, all her smiles and fiery anger. 

She was standing there, with an old map of the school in her hand, the thing horribly outdated and she kept turning it over and over trying to see which way was north. She had a massive clump of snow on her bulging backpack and was tracking in ice and water from her soaked sneakers. 

When he called out to her and she turned to look at him Keefe swears his heart leaped to his throat. She had snowflakes in her eyelashes and blinking them away quickly, they melted from her warmth and they almost looked like tears making marks on her cheeks. The sight of the false tears alone made him stand, even though she wasn’t actually crying he was drawn towards her, wanting to offer her a tissue he didn’t have or a shoulder to lean on. 

Turns out she had just been lost and frustrated cause the classroom she had mistakenly gone into had a crabby teacher that all but kicked Sophie back out into the cold with no assistance to get to her actual class. Then, of course, it was just her luck that when the teacher slammed the door shut the snow on the roof took that moment to fall and avalanche Sophie as the cold, wet, welcoming committee. Go Tigers!

“Foster!” He called out again. He tried to put his hands in his pockets until he remembered he had no pockets to put his hands in so now he just looked like an idiot patting his thighs and figured maybe he should get his pants down from the tree and just wear them as ripped as they were, shirtless guys with ripped pants a hero does make but when Keefe turned and looked up his pants were walking away. 

Damn

He really liked those pants. 

The pale green went so well with his-

Shirt.

Right.

He doesn’t have that either. 

Keefe sat on a rock and thought about the fact that he didn’t have pants. 

“What are you doing?” A voice asked and Keefe knew that voice, knew it as well as he knew his own name. Missed it as much as the stars miss the dreamers who wished upon their shimmering light when the dawn came. 

“Sophie!” Keefe beamed, he got up from his rock, turning around to see her standing there, her hands in the pockets of her sweatpants, her hair tied up in its usual ponytail, wearing his shirt- wait wearing his…woah

“You have my shirt.” He paused, his arms half open for a hug.

“Where are your pants?” She asked, looking down at his legs.

“...You're not going to believe this but they walked away.”

“Keefe.”

“I'm serious!” Keefe promised and when Sophie raised a brow at him and crossed her arms he pointed at her shirt.

“Since we’re talking about clothes…” He trailed off and Sophie looked down at her chest and then back up at him like that shirt was totally hers and there was no issue at all. 

“You want it back?” She asked and there was something dangerous in her voice, a creeping sense that she might one up him was whispering for him to be cautious but he couldn’t read the warning signs.

“Well if you’re gonna complain about my pants, yes. I’d like my shirt back.”  He held out his hand, feeling a little smug until Sophie grabbed the hem of her shirt and Keefe’s brain finally caught up with his mouth as Sophie slowly, painfully slow , pulled up the shirt inch by beautiful inch and-

“WOAH!” Keefe yelped, turning away as he put his hand in front of his eyes so he wouldn't be tempted to look as he kicked himself. Oh yeah just tell her to take her shirt off why don’t you. “Woah, woah, woah! Sophie, hold on.”

“What?” She asked, teasing him in a way that totally wasn’t fair as Keefe squeezed his eyes shut.  He heard her step closer, her footsteps mixing with the crunching leaves as she moved to stand right in front of him. 

Holy shit she doesn't have a shirt on…

GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF MAN!

“I thought you wanted this?” She whispers, her breath soft against his skin, sending goosebumps up his shoulder where she spoke all the way up his neck as he shivered and gulped down temptation. 

“I uh…” Keefe whispered, his voice small and barely louder than a pathetic whimper as he stood perfectly still. 

Maybe if I don’t move…

“Keefe,” She said, her voice reaching that seductive low tone he swears he didn’t know she had in her. Internally he groaned knowing he was done for if she was going to be pulling out that tone now that she knew the things it did to him. “Open your eyes.” Sophie whispered, trying to coerce him and he really really wanted to. She was inviting him to after all but…would she really want this? Was she sure? Was she only doing it cause he made a fuss about the shirt? It looked better on her, she could keep it. 

“I…” He stuttered as he felt her hand touch his chest and his body went rigid. He could feel the warmth of her palm upon his skin, the contact making his heart flip and his stomach twirl. The dull pain in his side a forgotten memory when her touch healed him, fixed his body up like it was brand new, 

“Keefe,” She whispered, her breath upon his neck and Keefe shivered, wiggling like an idiot and an idiotic sound came out of him as goosebumps covered him from head to toe. 

“Keefe,” She said again and Keefe groaned out loud this time as her lips whispered over his skin, the touch so nearly there but just far enough away that it wasn’t enough. 

“Soph,” He said softly and she paused, giving him space to speak. 

“Are you sure you want this?” He asked, needing to know as Sophie’s hand moved, he jumped a little when both hands cupped his face and tilted his head downwards so she could place a kiss on his cheek.

“I want right now is you-” She said something at the end but he didn’t hear her right. 

“What?” Keefe asked, squeezing his eyes so tight it kind of hurt. 

“I want you.” She repeated and Keefe took in a breath. Was this really Sophie? His Sophie?

“...Foster, only you know this so you’ll obviously have the answer, right?” He asked, his voice shaking as Sophie hesitated to answer him. 

“Yeah?” She said, the words coming out like a question and he should feel her shrug slightly. “Do I need to solve a riddle for a kiss?” She asked but he didn’t answer her.  

“How old was I when I realized my mom was worse than my dad?” He whispered and felt Sophie hold still before speaking the answer, 

“Seventeen.” The age he was right now. The same age he was a few months ago when he found out his mother was a murderer. The age where all the hope in him that he had one horrible parent and one slightly less bad parent died. 

Keefe opened his eyes and looked into the gentle brown of Sophie’s beautiful eyes as he reached up and brushed the stand that had come loose away from her face. 

“You got it,” He said in a hushed whisper as Sophie’s eyes echoed his pain. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a hug as Keefe held her close and buried his face in her hair. 

“You were teasing me about the shirt weren’t you?” He asked, changing the subject after soaking in her warmth for a moment, clearing his throat as he pulled back to see that she was very much still wearing his shirt. 

“Yeah,” Shr grinned, flicking him lightly on the nose as she stood by his side so his arm was wrapped around her shoulders. “This is my shirt now.” 

“Thief.” He teased as Sophie laughed and nudged him. 

“Hey, it's my girlfriend right to steal this,” She informed him as they started to walk and she stole a kiss from his cheek. “And that.”

“Well if we’re going to just start stealing things…” Keefe smirked, pausing so he could lean in close and brush his lips against hers. “I’ve got a couple ideas…”

“Me too, here’s one. Cover up Freakyhair.” A voice snapped and Keefe turned to his right to see Stina leaning on a tree, her arms crossed and her dress shirt sleeve rolled up to her elbows.

“Stina?” Sophie asked before letting go of Keefe to run towards the tall, brooding cowboy as Stina gave the faintest hint of a smile, allowing Sophie to wrap her arms around her without protest.

“Yeah yeah, it's me. Don't cream your pants Foster.” Stina teased before looking past Sophie at Keefe. 

“Seriously, cover up.” Stina huffed as Keefe looked down at his bare legs.

“My pants walked away.”

“Here,” Stina groaned like she had to do everything herself as she threw a miniskirt at him.

“You know,” Keefe said, examining the scrap of fabric. “I'm more of a pleated school skirt kind of guy.”

“Take it or leave it.”

“I'm taking it.” Keefe laughed as he tugged on the skirt. Stina covered Sophie's eyes.

“Why do you have a miniskirt on you?” Sophie questioned and Stina shrugged.

“I'm not an animal.”

“This is kinda nice,” Keefe commended as he wiggled around in the skirt, he smirked at Sophie and tried to do the Marilyn Monroe pose. “It’s breezy.” He winked and Stina pretended to barf. 

“I’m leaving.” Stina grumbled, shoving her hands in her pockets and turning away. 

“Wait!” Keefe called out as Stina looked at him from over her shoulder, navy eyes waiting for him to go on. 

“The vampire, did you get it?” He asked as Stina raised a brow, turning towards him fully before throwing her head back and bursting into laughter. 

“What are you on Freakyhair.” Stina barked as she shook her head, turning away again and she started to walk away. “Of course I kicked its ass. I’m a Heks.” Stina paused and looked back at Keefe, a confident smile on her lips that still didn’t look right. “Don’t you forget it.” 

“Where are you going?” Sophie asked as Stina walked and they followed her. 

“Work?” Stina said with a resounding duh in her voice, spinning on her heels and walking backwards so she could face them as she talked. “I passed the interview.” 

Stina said it so nonchalantly it was almost easy to miss the prideful air about her, Keefe blinked, remembering her mentioning that interview a while back. She had been applying to part time jobs, something about college and experience. Stina was always making little plans like that.

“You got the job!” Keefe smiled and Stina nodded a little shyly, that tiny crack at her modest side seeping through her tough exterior. 

“Yeah, I start my first shift soon.” Stina explained as Sophie nodded along. 

“That's awesome Stina!” 

“Where are you working?” Keefe asked as Stina stopped walking and jerked her thumb to the side. 

“Right here.”

Keefe turned and saw that they were no longer in the forest, the fog was still around but now they were standing in front of a mom and pop shop, a quaint little place that seemed to fit well with the downtown of La Eternia. 

“What’s-...” Keefe started to ask but when he turned to look at Stina she was gone. 

“Stina?” He blinked and Sophie tugged on his arm. 

“Come on,” She smiled and Keefe looked at her funny. 

“Where’d Stina go?” He asked and Sophie raised a brow at him. 

“Um, to work?” She laughed like he was being silly. “Come one, let's get you a shirt. They won’t let you inside Bumbler’s if you don’t have a shirt on.”

“What's a Bumbler?” Keefe asked as Sophie dragged him through shops he didn’t remember being there. They passed by happy shop after happy little shop, whizzing by all the colorful banners and rightly painted welcome signs. 

“Where are we goING?!” He gasped as Sophie dove into a clothes store, dragging him through the front door with the cute welcome bell. Keefe spun out of her hand and stumbled right into a big rack of clothes. Stumbling and taking the whole thing down with him as Keefe drowned in sweaters and shirts of all sizes. 

“Sorry!” Sophie squeaked and Keefe held up his hand to give her a thumbs up Terminator style. 

“I’m okay.” Keefe laughed as he got up from the clothes, Sophie offering her hand to help get him back on his feet. 

“So what style are we going for?” He asked Sophie once he was standing again. 

“Style?” Sophie laughed as she crouched down to pick up some of the fallen clothes and Keefe went to help too. 

“Yeah,” Keefe smiled, picking up a Ghostbusters t-shirt that looked big enough to fit the whole town. “I mean I’ve got this killer skirt, may as well make an outfit and look as awesome as I always do.” He grinned and Sophie nudged his shoulder as she giggled. 

“You’re keeping the skirt?” She asked incredulously.

“I look sexy.” Keefe winked, leaning against a table beside him as Sophie snorted and leaned in to kiss him. 

“Yeah, I guess do you.”She teased and Keefe huffed. 

“Guess? We’re gonna have to do something about that aren’t we.” He muttered as their lips brushed, sending electrifying sparks down his spine. Sophie moved closer to him as they sneaked under a round garment rack filled to the brim with clothes. Sophie’s hands snaked up his sides and Keefe shivered from the touch. Keefe’s back hit something as their lips met and the world melted away. Only Sophie and her lips, moving against his in a sweet, hypnotic rhythm remained. Her hands explored his body as they had before, touching his chest, his arms, his abs. They broke apart only to catch their breath before going straight back into kissing as his hands tangled themselves in her hair, holding her closer as she straddled him, bringing her hands up to cup his face as their lips danced together. Fire sparking from the brushes they share, phantoms of kisses, teasing touches, bodies colliding as they tried to fit together like puzzle pieces meant to be one imperfect perfect image. 

His mind filled with fog as Sophie’s gentle gasp of air and the fierce way she crashed her lips back together, it made his mind go completely blank. He moved his hands to her hips, unsure where exactly to hold her in a way that wouldn’t give away his burning desire for her. He didn’t want to push her too far. 

But Sophie was making it clearer and clearer she wanted this. All her teasing touches, all her flirtatious glances, the way her eyes would rake over his body. 

She leaned in, kissing his neck and Keefe shut his eyes tight. Every time he felt her lips on his skin he swears he’s never been hungrier for her. His hands held her tighter, wanting to express his love for her through his touch, it wasn’t just the fact that she was kissing him that made his heart soar (though the kisses were an awesome bonus). But it was the fact that she was just so easy to love, her kind heart, her gentle smile, that strong determined nature of hers. The natural way she made people want to follow her to the ends of the Earth. He would follow her even beyond Earth, into the stars and past the galaxy. 

“Sophie,” He whispered, wanting to speak her name into the universe and let every star listen as the girl of his dreams kissed his collarbone and shoulder, moving back up his neck and right onto that sweet spot that made him see the stars he was talking about. 

“Damn it Soph,” He gasped as she placed a little kiss on the tip of his nose. “Where’d you learn to kiss like that?” He asked and her brown eyes were alight with a wild, bright fire in them that told him she was gonna eat him alive. And he was all for it. 

“I had a great teacher.” She winked, stealing a quick kiss as Keefe melted and whined when the kiss only lasted a moment. 

“More, please?” He begged as Sophie laughed, holding his face in her hands. Her cheeks were flushed in that adorable rosy pink and while he knew his face was no different, she wore it better. 

“Absolutely.” She breathed, he kissed her and as he wished she kissed him back, her lips soft against his but passionate. She wasn’t just satisfied with a simple little kiss, not when they were like this, holding each other as close as they could. Wanting their bodies to be flush against one another. 

Keefe reached back and grabbed a random fluffy sweater, yanking it off the hanger and bunching it into a ball as he moved his hips. Holding Sophie as he flipped them, holding her head gently until it rested on the makeshift pillow he made her. 

“Is that comfort- MMF!” He barely got the words out before she locked her arms around his neck and kissed him some more. If one could get drunk off of kissing, consider Keefe wasted. His brain was much, his clothes were gone. All he had was this super miniskirt. Why the hell did he even need a shirt? He never wanted to wear one ever again!

Keefe held himself up with one arm as the other cradled Sophie’s head, their lips crashing, breaking apart, before coming back together over and over, unable to get enough because it was never enough. They needed more. 

“Sophie.” He whispered breathlessly as they broke apart, gasping for air, chest heaving. Her hair was a mess, her shirt was askew, her cheeks were red but by god she’d never looked more beautiful. Those warm brown eyes sparkled as she laughed, running a hand through her hair. 

“Hi.” She breathed and Keefe grinned.

“Hi.”

“Thank god you’re done!” Stina snapped and Keefe looked up as Sophie yelped and scrambled away. Stina looked over at them from the counter as she leaned on it, a towel thrown over her shoulder as she leaned, her nose wrinkled in disgust. 

“Could you two not be all over each other all the time?” Stina huffed as Sophie cleared her throat and tried to fix her hair as Keefe shrugged and ran a lazy hand through his hair. 

“Sorry Stina but you know how Sophie is.” He grinned as Sophie whirled and slapped his shoulder and he laughed.

“Gag me, you’re disgusting.” Stina sighed and walked around the counter, shooing them with a broom as Sophie picked up the sweater and handed it to Keefe who shoved it over his head. 

“You’re lucky I’m so nice.” She muttered as Keefe and Sophie were half broomed into a corner booth of what he assumed was Stina’s new job. 

“Uhhh, yeah,” Keefe nodded, unsure where the clothing store went. “We’re the luckiest.” 

Sophie kept her eyes glued on the table, refusing to make eye contact with Stina as Stina dragged over a stool and perched herself on top like a gargoyle. 

“Do I have to babysit you or can I go back to work?” Stina grumbled, pointing the question mostly at Keefe but she cut a glance at Sophie who looked like she was trying to sink into the plush seat and die of embarrassment. 

“You can work,” Keefe said, feeling about as awkward as Sophie probably was. It was one thing to have a super hot make out on their own…it was another thing entirely to be making out like that with an audience. 

Sophie muttered the same under her breath as Stina sighed and leaned back in her stool.

“Good…” She glanced at them before standing up and brushing herself off. “Believe me it’s weird for all of us.” She told them, 100% referring to the kiss as Keefe felt his face burn bright red. 

“I can uh…get you guys a milkshake?” Stina offered, shrugging as Sophie glanced up at her. 

“Really?” Sophie blinked as Stina stiffened, probably realizing she was being nice without demanding anything in return and scoffed at Sophie. 

“If you can answer three questions!” Stina said like it was so obvious and not like she just tacked that on at random. 

“We can do that,” Keefe shrugged and Sophie nodded. Sophie was a whiz at trivia. As well as math, history, being generally awesome and amazing and smart and brilliant and funny. 

“Question one!” Stina said, stamping down her broom officially. Sophie and Keefe shared a look, they totally had this in the bag. Sophie stood straighter, gearing up for the challenge as Stina raised a brow at them confidently. 

“I’ll make it easy since you have a handicap.” Stina shrugged, obviously gesturing to Keefe as he payfully flipped her off. “What is my middle name?”

Shit.

Sophie looked at Keefe and he could just read her thoughts. 

Stina has a middle name?

Keefe pressed his lips together as Sophie tried to stall for time. 

“Stina, that's too easy.”

“Yeah, ask us something hard.” Keefe added as his brain tried to rake through every bit of information he knew. 

Her name was Stina Heks but apparently there’s a middle name???? How could she have a middle name??? Think, think, think. Stina blank Heks. Stina black Heks…

Emily? No.

Samantha? Definitely not. 

D? Was it a D? S.D.H? Stina D Heks. Stina D Heks. Stina Destroyer of good Heks? Stina Death to all vampires Heks. Stina Double double toil and trouble Heks? 

ACTUALLY THINK OF A NAME STUPID!

D…D…D…What names start with D? Diana. Delilah-

Hey there Delilah what's it like in New York City

FUCK, THINK!

Daphne. Daisy. Darcy. Dorothy. Destiny

‘Destry’

“Destry??” What kind of a name was-

“Not bad Sencen,” Stina huffed, raising a brow at him as Keefe leaned against the table. 

“Uh, told you that was too easy. Someone give us a tough one!” He egged, fake it till you make it. Make that thing shake, milk shake. 

…please never say those words out loud, you absolute loser. 

“Okay Freakyhair, let's play hardball.” Stina nodded, “Question two!” She slammed her broom down twice. 

“How many bones does a horse’s pelvic leg have in comparison to a human leg?”

WHO KNOWS???? AND WHY DO YOU KNOW THE ANSWER?

“Nineteen and Forty-one!” Sophie called out and Keefe didn’t even have a chance to pause and ask if that was even right because Stina just moved on. 

“Question three!! What is my signature catchphrase?”

“Seriously?” Keefe asked as Stina gave him a thumbs up before throwing the towel she had on her shoulder at his face. 

“You’re not a stupid as you look, Sencen,” Stina smiled as she moved behind the counter. “I’ll be back in a sec, what do you want?”

“Fudge!” Keefe smiled as Sophie rattled off her sugar abomination. 

“You have horrible taste!” Stina called back and Sophie just laughed and leaned back.

“Is this where the party’s at?” Someone called as the door opened and Keefe leaped to his feet. 

“Dex!” Keefe smiled as Dex beamed and waved, giving them both a big dimpled smile. Biana walked in soon after, going straight for the old time-y jukebox to play that new pop song she was obsessed with. 

“Biana, you're going to get us kicked out.” Fitz groaned as Biana punched in her song on the screen of the jukebox. 

“Only if the employees have zero taste.” Biana grinned, sticking out her tongue at Fitz who rolled his eyes and shoved his sister lightly. 

“Like you have any taste.” He grinned as they made their way over. 

“Fitz! I was wondering where you-” Keefe started but stopped dead when Fitz slid into the booth right next to Sophie and awkwardly wrapped an arm around her shoulders as Sophie turned her body towards him, a strange smile on her lips. 

“Hey Soph,” Fitz said with that picture perfect smile of his as Sophie leaned close to him. 

“Hey,” She whispered shyly, both of them glancing at each other’s lips and for a second Keefe hoped they wouldn’t do it until Sophie cut a glance at Biana and leaned in to kiss Fitz hello.

Keefe sat stiffly as Biana and Dex shoved in beside him, his heart dropping straight down to his feet as Fitz and Sophie broke apart from their short kiss, looking away from each other. The image of a perfect couple. 

But they weren’t a couple.

Not anymore at least.

No, this happened ages ago, during junior year, back when Sophie and Fitz were the unstoppable Fitzphie, the power couple of the school. High school’s dreamiest guy with the girl next door, a rom com come to life. 

But neither of them were happy. 

He remembers this. 

Why did they-

“Keefe,” Stina spoke and Keefe looked at the end of the table where Stina stood with a single vanilla milkshake with strawberry syrup. 

“I asked for fudge.” Keefe muttered, his voice gone and his heart far below him in the floor tiles.

“You’ve gotta drink this,” Stina told him gently, sliding the milkshake down to him as Keefe looked at the bright red syrup and then back at Stina.

“Do I have to?” He wasn’t in the mood for fun milkshakes anymore.

“Please Keefe,” Stina whispered, her eyes unusually gentle as she sat beside him, the booth empty of the ghost of junior year past. 

That's right, he was a senior now. Fitz was held back two years after his accident. After their first ever vampire attack, the day they discovered the legends of La Eternia were real. The day Stina Heks stopped being public enemy number one and instead…

“Drink,” Stina said gently, gesturing to the red in his cup.

“Will I be okay?” He asked, his voice small as Sophie, his Sophie, appeared on his otherside and took his hand.

“You will.” She promised but Keefe looked at Stina for her answer.

“I’ll be right here.” Stina nodded and Keefe took a deep breath. 

“...This is scary.” He admitted, the red swirling in his cup, the smell strangely intoxicating. 

“It can be scary.” Stina agreed before putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. “But don’t worry about a thing. I’ve taken care of the worst of it.”

“What do you mean?” Keefe asked, puzzled. What had she taken care of for him? But Stina just shook her head and put a straw in his glass.

“Drink.”

Chapter Text

STINA ???/??/???? ?:?? ?M

Stina shot upwards, gasping for breath but the wind in her sails was met with harsh resistance as her wrists snapped against something tough and Stina flew back onto the mattress, pain shooting through her body as she yelled, clawing up her spine, sinking deep into the muscles of her body as her body spasmed. She tried to resist the restraints as she halted her movements, wild, incoherent noises sprawled out of her, tumbling from her lips in a panic as someone stood up, a chair scraping back against the floor and calling her attention. 

Stina whirled, turning to the side, heart racing as that infernal ringing kept going. Wylie’s eyes were wide with panic as Stina breathed heavily, shortly, and poorly. Her chest heaved as emotions poured through her veins like fire, rushing waters churning and coming to a roar as something wounded and furious ripped out of her throat. 

Doors burst open as a familiar doctor came rushing in with two nurses at his side, their footsteps echoing like gunshots in her ears as a side splitting scream flew through the room like a banshee.

Something pushed up her throat. 

“ELWIN WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?” Voices yelled, panicked voices, scared voices, all the air in the room turning to thick heavy water and it kept pouring in from every crack and tile as Stina screamed, the water rising and rising until it reached her lips and then- 

Stina turned to the side as the nurses tried to hold her down and the one on the left flinched and jumped away like Stina would bite her but Stina was just glad he moved out of the way of her mouth as she hacked and coughed up bile and blood. A woman screamed from the door, calling her name as someone brought a towel to her chin. 

Panic

Chaos

So much panic it was drowning out everything else in the building, it was all she could hear, all she could feel. Their worry, their fear, all tied to her and that incessant beeping!

Stina’s body recoiled when someone pulled away the towel from her face and the thick scent of iron filled her nose, sparking something in her brain as she could hear the hearts in the room, every beat and blood cell. All of it ringing and ringing and ringing . 

Stina’s head spun and her eyes rolled as far back as they could as she rested back again. 

STINA ???/??/???? ?:?? ?M

Screaming.

She was screaming.

Stina was restraint, held down, tied up, someone grabbed her shoulders and pushed her down. Someone was going to bite her. They were going to bite her. 

‘Get off me!’ Stina begged as people shoved her, pushed her, pulled her. Someone grabbed the front of her shirt and tore it open revealing bandages soaked in blood. ‘Don’t touch me! DON’T TOUCH ME!’ She sobbed, the effort it took to scream spewed out blood and spit from her lips as Stina tried to look at what they were doing to her. Where the gloved hands were touching her body. 

She was conscious. Conscious of every ragged breath that burned through her body, the cold, starile air that hit her body and the wound that covered her middle. 

‘PLEASE! PLEASE DON’T TOUCH ME!’ She wept, someone turned her head, forcing it into the pillow as red dots stained white. Dirt. She could smell dirt. 

The forest.

She was in the forest. 

No! No! Wrong. Not supposed to be here. 

Water!

Why was there water?!

“She’s losing blood!” Someone shouted and Stian struggled against the hands, the teeth, the claws that scraped at her skin and body. 

“Breathe baby, you need to breathe.” Someone to her right begged, their hand reaching out but Stina tried to turn away from them. Unable to move. 

“Keep her still! It’s opening!” 

“I’M TRYING!”

“Stina, baby, please listen. It’s me. It’s mom.” 

I don’t want this. I’m still human!

“Stina, please…”

I wanna go home.

“Baby you gotta hold still.”

“VIKA!”

“Destry.” Her mother begged, grabbing her face in her hands as Stina’s vision started to go blurry. 

“M…mo…”

“Forgive me,” Her mother whispered and Stina could feel a healing kiss on her forehead before the hands that held her face opened her mouth, holding it open as a hand rested between her teeth. “Forgive me Dessy.” 

I’m still human…

The smell of blood filled her senses as Stina sucked in a breath, something in her eyes sharpened, focusing on her mother’s teary face and the conflict in her eyes before shutting Stina’s jaw on her hand. Stina’s fangs digging into her flesh as blood filled Stina’s mouth and it felt…empowering. 

Her mother screamed into her arm as Stina’s mind tried to force her body away but something else wrestled with her commands, shoving her mind out of the way as it fed upon her mother’s blood. The iron in her senses fueled the beast’s temptation as she drank in the red that filled her mouth, allowing it to sink into her gums, her bones, her soul. 

Stina shut her eyes and let herself plunge into darkness as someone yelled out, “It’s working! She’s stabilizing!” 

Someone opened Stina’s jaw and Stina opened her eyes to see her father there, his eyes wide with panic and fear. The touch of his skin whispering to her on the crashing waves of his heart the joy, relief, and overwhelming pride he felt as he looked into her eyes but the waves weren’t the only thing on the horizon as dark clouds of anxiety, fear, and a pain Stina couldn’t decipher rumbled and rolled in. 

“Dad?” She whispered, her voice weak as his eyes brimmed with tears, a smile pulling on his lips as he nodded, wiping the blood from her chin as someone tended to her mother’s wound. 

“That’s right. It’s me sweetheart.” He beamed, a tear running down his cheek as he wiped at his eyes with his arm, his hands bloodied and covered by gloves. He pulled one off and pressed his hand against her cheek. 

“You can still hear me, right?” He asked and Stina couldn’t tell if she nodded but whatever physical answer she gave him made the pride shower her in a drenching spray as he squared his shoulders. His nerves steeled against the fear and held its sharp weapons up towards the rumbling darkness, warding it off. “That’s my girl.” He nodded and Stina did her best to smile. 

“I need you to close your eyes and when I say bite, you bite down, okay?” He asked, pressing his lips together as he waited for her to reply but Stina frowned at him, only half understanding what he was asking of her and half wishing she was wrong. 

“Stina,” He whispered softly as he looked behind him at a curtain that hid her from the rest of the room. “If you do this, we can help Keefe.” 

Keefe?! 

Stina’s heart picked up the pace, she could sense something coming from her father’s touch. Desperation? Was Keefe’s situation desperate? Was he in trouble? 

“If this works on you it’ll work on him.” Her dad told her and Stina looked into Timkin’s dark navy eyes, they were haunted by worries and fears. Doubt crept into her skin from his palm and Stina unlocked what he was hesitating to say not knowing he had already tipped his hand. 

If  it worked. 

Stina swallowed and took a breath, feeling something that was poking around inside her gaping would brush her torn muscles and Stina winced. 

Do it for Keefe. Do it for Keefe. She chanted.

It’s your fault…

“Okay.” Stina croaked and her dad nodded, a tear escaping his eyes, drawing a line amongst many strokes of tears past on his cheek, the drop touched his beard Stina had almost never seen him without and the familiarity of his face, the hope that he’d still be here…She could do this. 

“My brave girl.” He whispered as he kissed her forehead and Stina grunted, melting at the adoration that whispered to her how much he loved her. She knew of course, she knew both her parents cared for her and her brother more than anything else in the world. But sometimes it was still nice to hear it. 

Stina closed her eyes and prepared to bite. 

For Keefe…

STINA ???/??/???? 7:32 AM

“-You want anything?”

“Nah, I’m good.”

“I’ll be back in a sec.”

“Sure, sure.”

Someone walked farther away before closing the door and Stina wrinkled her nose as her eyes fluttered open, wincing shut again tightly as the light stung her eyes. 

“Stina?” Someone asked and Stina groaned, turning away from their voice. 

“Stina, are you awake?” The voice asked, a sweet melody. 

Stina just grunted in response.

“Stina?” 

Another annoyed grunt. 

A hand gently touched her wrist, the skin was cold and Stina moved away her hand. She hated the cold. Even more, she hated this stupid light. 

Who turned on the lights?

STINA NOV, 12 6:30 PM

Stina groaned and coughed up the most she should manage to squeeze out without forcing her body to do much, in a flash Elwin had a towel to wipe her chin and as much as Stina knew it was just Elwin doing his job she had so little space to move so she resisted. Phishing back in any way she could.

Stina moved her head away as Elwin paused and sighed softly.  

“Stina,” He said softly as he gestured to the bloodied towel. “Please?” 

At least he asked.

Elwin was the only one assigned to her care that ever bothered to ask her permission for anything. Any time she rebelled she was met with overpowering, oppressing strength double of her own. It wasn’t fair, she was weak, restrained, tried to this fucking chair. How could she be of any threat to anyone?

Only Elwin ever asks so only Elwin ever got results from her. Tiny rebellions. Her only acts free will.

Stina moved her chin back and Elwin dabbed lightly at her lips and Stina mimed burping, it got a laugh out of Elwin as he moved her to the side, wheeling her in front of the sink as he reached for her restraints. He crouched down so they were somewhat eye level as he held a finger to his lips and winked. 

“Our secret.” He smiled and Stina gave him a nod, throwing away the key. 

Elwin nodded and unbound her wrists as Stina breathed out as deeply as she could. Her skin was still pink from her wild outbursts. When Elwin’s hands touched her own Stina could feel his guilt, his sorrow, his unspoken apologies. He hated the restraints as much as she did but the Council had demanded it despite Stina having zero record of biting anyone. Mostly cause she was sleeping half of the time. Recovering from her wounds. 

Elwin moved her as close to the low sink as he could as he turned on the water for her and brought the soap to her hands so Stina wouldn’t have to lean and remember there was still a restraint across her torso. That was the only one she allowed to touch her skin, mostly because it was the only one that didn’t make her mother worry or her father look away. 

Stina washed her hands before glancing up at the mirror to look at her reflection.

She didn’t know how bad she looked before but she could remember the pain. There was a bruise under one eye and little tiny scratches on her face like she had a fight with an origami samurai and lost, her jaw had a yellowing bruise Elwin told her would be fixed up in a jiffy so long as she didn’t over extend the muscles. Overall she looked less like she fought a horde of vampires and more like she just got in a really bad street fight. She hadn’t lost any teeth which was a plus, she’d hate to get a silver tooth, they looked so corny. 

“Here,” Elwin smiled, offering her some paper towels to dry her hands with. He flushed whatever she coughed up in her tray down the toilet and put the plastic try off to the side to wash later. Stina’s…donut issue was healing at an astonishing rate according to Elwin and her parents but it was still very fragile and they wouldn’t risk moving her much if they could help it. With the way her body was putting itself back together there were some things she had to cough up periodically so it wouldn’t all just build up until it forced its way out of her whether she liked it or not. Hence the reason she was up and not sleeping in a coffin right now. 

Vomit time…yay!

Stina sighed as Elwin strapped her back up and wheeled her back into the room, Keefe’s curtain was open as per her request but he was still sleeping. Meanwhile Stina and the others are stuck waiting for him to wake up. 

It’s your fault…he’s like this because of you…

That idiot…

“You wanna check on him?” Elwin asked and Stina looked at the man before nodding. Elwin deserved a serious raise for all that he was doing. It must not be easy working in the basement of this hospital in the dark all the time. Fluorescent lights won’t kill her but they didn’t want any risk of sunlight. Despite the Slayers and the Vampires fighting for years and years, no one knew much about them which is what made them all the more dangerous. 

But now…

A man in the room watched them carefully as Elwin took Stina over to see Keefe. He didn’t say a word as he sat and observed as Stina looked over her friend as he slept. 

“Get up.” She whispered but Keefe didn’t so much as flinch. 

“Get. up.” Stina frowned, it was just like him to be stuck in a coma while she was amongst the waking and walking…well, waking and wheeling. Though in Stina’s opinion she didn’t get why she was awake before Keefe was. She was…She was hurt worse than he was, why was he bitching about. 

Walk it off Sencen.

Wow, that’s totally not a fucked up thing to think about someone who’s in a coma !

“Keefe,” Stina sighed, growing annoyed with him. “When you get up, I’m kicking you ass.” She grumbled horsley before Elwin moved her away.

“Hey, no threatening the patient.” Elwin scolded as Stina rolled her eyes.

It was Keefe’s own fault. If he were awake she wouldn’t be threatening him.

“It’s in your best interest that I don’t overhear that,” The man called and Elwin rotated her so she could face him. He was tall, which was weird, Stina didn’t mean to brag but she was quite literally the tallest person she’d known but now that she was bed and wheelchair bound people actually stood over her. It was freaking her out.

“Or what?” Stina croaked, looking the man in the green and red tracksuit up and down. You’d think someone from the council would at least have some taste in clothes. “You’ll chain me up?” Stina spat, moving her wrists to demonstrate how little she could move already because of them. All they had left to take from her was her smart mouth and shove her in an Iron Maiden.

The red-haired man looked down at her hands and frowned, a mix of emotions flying across his face before he turned his gaze away.

Yeah…look away asshole.

“A moment please.” The man asked, looking at Elwin in a way that wasn’t really asking. More like dismissing Elwin but Elwin didn’t move.

“I’m staying with my patient.” Elwin said sternly, he might work for the council but Elwin wasn’t above defying them.

“Elwin,” The man said softly and Stina ignored their chatter as she shut her eyes and focused on the light trickle of water. Hearing it hum through the pipes she built up around the room. They were poorly constructed and leaky but they controlled the flow in the room, kept it contained. She reached out, grabbing into one of them with her mind, imagining a hand tracing the metal as it zigzagged and twisted, moving easily to the man right in front of her. She didn’t know his name and without physical contact this was way harder but in the few moments she had awake she’d discovered this ability of hers, this talent.

She twisted the valve, imagined it being like a door creaking open as she stepped through to read. It was muddled and murky, hard to see but listening was always easier.

“I need to discuss something that’s for her ears only.” The man said and he was being truthful, but also careful.

“Doctor confidentiality.” Elwin shrugged and Stina snorted which caused her to cough and break her concentration.

“Are you-?” Elwin started to ask but Stina waved her hand as much as she could. She was fine.

She looked up at the self important man as he looked at her with the slightest hint of concern behind his eyes, Stina tilted her head as she took in his stupid tracksuit and dumb shoes before returning to his eyes.

“You want to talk to me?” Stina asked and the man nodded.

“We have something to discuss.” He said simply as Stian raised a brow.

“My doctor says I shouldn't talk too much,” Stina said like it was such a pity. “You wouldn’t want to put strain on a poor helpless girl, would you?”

“You’re anything but helpless,” The man said, looking her up and down. “But if you’re not feeling up for negotiations.” He trailed off, trying to get her to follow him.

“I can’t agree to anything with my hands tied.” Stina joked, wiggling her hands as the man looked down at the restraints that bound her chair.  He huffed out a small laugh as a little smile graced his features and despite herself, he looked good when he was smiling. More friendly. He gave her a nod and Stina looked over at Elwin.

“Please?” She asked. He was the only one who ever asked her for permission, of course she would return the favor. Elwin looked into her eyes, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder before nodding and moving to leave.

Once the door shut the man walked over to Stina as she watched him unbind her hands, he only paused when he saw the color of her wrists but Stina wasn’t looking at what she couldn’t undo. The touch of his skin on hers let her right in through the threshold of his emotions, sinking into the pool of his heart and taking a deep breath before sinking in the deep end. Water in her ears.

Concern…worry? What did he have to worry about? She was still bound to the chair. Her hands were just free.

Hope…anticipation…

“Are you tired?” The man asked and Stina opened her eyes realizing she had closed them to focus. He was watching her just as much as she was listening to his gears clicking and turning. 

“I’m tired from many things,” Stina sighed out softly. 

“Like strangers.” She gestured to him as he raised a hand to point to himself.

“My name is Kenric.”

“My condolences.” Stina said smartly and Kenric smiled again as he laughed softly, standing and moving the chair so they were sitting right across from each other.

“You know, Kenric is more common than Stina.” Kenric smiled, as he crossed his legs and Stina rolled her eyes. Kenric was a lame name but whatever .

“So Kenric ,” Stina said with another roll of her eyes. “You either have a walk-a-thon to go to or a couch to mooch on so why are you here?” 

Stina had wanted to match his aloof and lighthearted air but with her throat all scuffed up like an old barn door she had to pause between every third word to catch her breath. It was starting to piss her off.

“It’s night time.” Kenric informed her, taking offense to her walk-a-thon comment…but he also let her know what was happening outside of these walls and he knew she was picking up on that. “It’s almost time for dinner actually.”

“I wouldn’t know.” Stina shrugged, resting her head back slightly before looking around the room as she gestured with her hands. “No windows.”

“We’re unsure how the sunlight will affect you. We didn’t want to risk it.” Kenric said before leaning in. “In fact…” Here we go. “There’s a lot about…vampires that even the council is unsure about.”

“Why are you a council then?” Stina questioned. Weren’t they supposed to be their super informed leaders or whatever. Kenric looked at her and then shut his eyes like he needed a moment to gather himself as he took in a breath. Stina, bored and well aware adults didn’t like this, started to softly pop her lips to make a sound. 

“I’m not wrong.” Stina mumbled when Kenric opened his eyes and he tilted his head, mouth open to speak but that's when Stina popped her lips again.

“Stina, the council is going to offer you an opportunity to…work with them to fill out the blank spaces in their knowledge. A sort of trial and error phase to understand what your limits are.” Kenric said and Stina raised a brow and watched him, noting the distinction between the council and himself.

“Okay?” Stina asked and Kenric made sure she was looking right at him before continuing.

“They’re going to offer you this soon,” Kenric said slowly as Stina looked at herself before looking back at Kenric.

“Do I have a choice?” She scoffed, turning away to cough softly, wiping her chin with the back of her hand.

“You do,” Kenric nodded but there was nothing pleasant in the way he said it as his eyes cut to the boy in the only other bed in the room. “He won’t if you refuse.”

Stina froze, her hands clutching tight on the arms of the chair.

“What?” She breathed slowly as Kenric looked at her with disdain as he repeated himself.

“If you refuse to cooperate, the Council will talk to Keefe. They will get him to say yes through…unpleasant coercion.”

His mom?

Keefe’s dad was hardly deserving to be called a father but his mother? Keefe would crumble if they brought up his mom…

“So what?” Stina scoffed, her chest starting to heave as she coughed, wiping her chin again as a little but of red stained her hand. “You’ll seriously blackmail a teenager ? Because I say no you’ll make him do your bidding?” Stina’s voice struggled to rise with her anger but the silent strength in her bones, fragile and dimmed, started to simmer.

“You’re scum, you know that?” Stina wheezed, coughing again and dragging her hand roughly across her face as a bit of blood dribbled down her chin.

“I voted against it!” Kenric said, his eyes flashing with hurt. “But I’m only one vote against ten. I came to you to talk, to warn you.”

“Warn me?!” Stina shouted, her voice shrill. “Oh yeah, thanks for the heads up, now I know I actually have no choice.”

“Stina, I'm trying to help.” Kenric tried but Stina rolled her eyes and huffed out a scoff.

“All you helped me do is make a decision.” Stina growled as Kenric ran a hand through his hair.

“Stina the council is going to offer you a deal but what I am trying to do is get you and Keefe through this without having to resort to blackmailing children.”

“So all you offer is the scenic route.”

“No, I know you’re just as curious as we are about what you can do.” Kenric said and Stina frowned because he was right. 

“I’m no one’s puppet.” Stina snarled and Kenric nodded.

“And I don’t always do exactly as the council wishes,” He gestured to himself sitting here, gesturing to her and her unbound hands.

“Wow, you let me move my hands,” Stina remarked sarcastically. “You sooooo good , a real boy scout. Man of the people. Why don’t you have a key to the city yet?”

“Stina,” Kenric sighed before slouching in his chair, muttering to himself softly, dragging a hand down his face. “This isn’t going right.”

“Sorry,” Stina said unapologetically. “I’m really good at ruining things.”

“Then, why don't you help me ruin this too?” Kenric asked, peeking at her through his fingers as a slow smile crept across his face and Stina paused, looked down at the board they were playing and swore. 

Check.

Fuckass redhead.

“Fuck you.” Stina grumbled as Kenric’s smile brightened. She was starting to hate him more and more the longer this talk went on. Mostly because she walked right into this.

Stina groaned as loudly as she could manage before hanging her head, raising a hand to Kenric…and then flipping him off.

“What’s your shitty plan, Mall Santa?” Stina grunted, crossing her arms.

STINA NOV, 12 11:41 PM

Stina decidedly didn’t like Kenric. He was stupid. And a loser. And Annoying. Plus a redhead. And he dressed like shit.

Stina looked over at Keefe as his monitor beeped softly beside her and Stina sighed.

“You owe me big time, Sencen.” Stina muttered.

She shifted then, knowing she had to make a plan, had to prepare for what was to come.

It’s your fault

It’s your fault he’s like this

She had to do it, for Keefe.

For Keefe.

God, the others would never let her live this down…

Stina sighed and slowly, painfully, moved to sit up. She had been saving her strength, slowly building it up. She felt bad about deceiving Elwin and her parents but if the Council was making their move so early in the game then she had to start putting her pieces on the board to intercept theirs. She threw her feet over the edge of her bed and stepped down.

She fell of course, she hadn’t walked in days.

Stina screamed as she went down, trying to grab onto anything that could hold her but all she managed to grab was Keefe’s privacy curtain and ripping down a few hooks that clattered around her as she felt something snap in her chest and she flopped onto her back, groaning and she tried to look at her stomach to see a little red starting to stain her shirt.

“Fuck me.” Stina groaned.

And then, as if the universe couldn’t laugh at her enough, one of the extra IV stands that were stored in the room fell over on her legs.

“Fuck you too.” Stina wheezed, holding up a shaking bird to the sky.

Stina tilted her head to try and look at Keefe as she debated crawling to the call button Elwin gave her or just wait until he came over.

“Get up.” She told Keefe, speaking to the silence he replied with as Stina shut her eyes. There were so little people on his side…if the Council got their hands on him.

“She needs you,” Stina whispered. Sure she wasn’t Sophie Foster’s number one fan, that title probably belonged to Keefe but Stina wasn’t so cruel as to just let the Council get to him with Sophie helpless to stop them or help.

If Keefe stayed asleep while she was awake maybe it was some kind of sign…

“You’ve got some fucked up humor man,” Stina said to the ugly ceiling tiles. Though…she supposed it was maybe justice, she dragged Keefe into this. He wouldn’t have gotten bitten if it weren’t for her.

For Keefe.

STINA NOV, 18 4:40 PM

“And, there, all done.” Elwin smiled but Stina glared at him as she held out his ugly plushie at him, demanding he take it back before she had to hold it any longer. Elwin laughed and took back Bullhorn as Stina wiped her hands on her lap. 

She was in a wheelchair again. Back when she had her big heart to heart with Keefe she finally swallowed her pride and buzzed Elwin’s help. He freaked out when he saw her in a pool of her own blood and wouldn’t laugh at her ‘it’s just my period’ joke (which was hilarious). Now Elwin was really cracking down on the wheelchair and while at first it was totally lame he didn’t let her try walking after ripping a stitch… hitting people with her chair was super fun. It was like a race car but just for her and she couldn’t go faster than a brisk jog. Which was fine, Wylie couldn’t run to save his life.

“I’m all strapped in?” Stina asked sarcastically as Elwin rolled his eyes but nodded.

“You’re all clear to roll around.” Elwin said and Wylie got up from the chair and cautiously walked behind Stina.

“Need me to push?” Wylie asked but Stina shook her head.

“No,” Stina insisted as she rolled herself to the door.

WYLIE, NOV 18 4:41 PM

Wylie held open the door as Stina rolled on through. He shuffled his legs out the way since she had a habit of bumping into him on purpose.

Why? He couldn’t tell you but the fact that she seemed fine enough to be messing with him was probably a good sign…right?

“I hate that room.” Stina grumbled, her brow creased with an annoyed frown as Wylie walked beside her. It was strange to be able to move at a leisurely pace with Stina, she was always storming ahead quickly or using her long legs to drive a harsh divide between them. Plus having her be down below and not towering over was weird to experience. She hadn’t been this small since she was a baby.

“It’s…stuffy.” Wylie nodded as Stina rolled her eyes.

“Claustrophobic,” Stina corrected as they slowed at the vending machine and Stina held out her palm expectantly.

“Can you eat solid food?” Wylie asked cautiously as Stina turned to look at him.

“Do I look older than 6 months, Wilbur ?” Stina grumbled, her frown deepening. “Yes I can eat solid food.”

“You sure? Your stomach-”

“My stomach is hungry and is perfectly capable of digestion.” Stina snarled before moving away from the vending machine.

“If you seriously wanna get Elwin-” She started but he cut her off.

“No. It’s fine. I believe you.” Wylie hurried, a voice in his head still waving warning signs as he put in a dollar.

“What do you want?”

“Mmm, gummy fruits I guess.” Stina shrugged, tapping the glass with her finger. “Are you getting anything?”

“I could go for a bag of chips.” Fitz smiled, strolling down the hall as Wylie breathed a sigh of relief that back up was here.

“Fitz?” Stina breathed softly, slowly turning her wheels to face him as Fitz lumbered over, his bad leg showing no signs of the weakness deep inside.

“Hey,” Fitz nodded as Wylie moved to the side as Fitz walked right up to Stina. Stina looked up at Fitz, her expression unreadable as she looked into his eyes, Fitz’s fidgeting slightly.

“How are you?” He asked as Stina tilted her head slightly, blinking for a moment before she seemed to come out of whatever trance she had been in.

“I’m halfway to becoming a monster truck.” Stina joked and Fitz blinked before he laughed softly. Wylie and Fitz shared a glance as the joke sunk in and they chuckled.

“How are you?” Stina asked and Fitz shrugged, shoving his hands into his jacket pocket, looking away from Stina as Wylie saw and felt the guilt in his eyes. Wylie looked down then.

If we hadn’t spit up…

“I’m fine.” Biana’s voice piped up and Wylie nearly jumped out of his skin. He wasn’t sure how Biaan kept sneaking up on people like that but they had to seriously get her some kind of bell to ring when she appeared.

“I didn’t ask.” Stina said and that’s when they knew she was actually fine. Same old Stina.

“You’re perky.” Biana crossed her arms and Stina grunted and reached into the vending machine for her gummy snacks.

“Yeah, I just lost ten pounds.” Stina hummed, ripping open the bag and tossing a gummy into her mouth.

“Ten pounds?” Fitz asked concerned before Stina deadpanned at him.

“I was harpooned.”

Stina ate another gummy snack as Wylie tried not to close his eyes and let the image of her eyes staring blankly ahead haunt him. 

“Why is everyone just standing around?” Dex asked as he and Sophie arrived and Stina groaned.

“Who invented the nerd squad?” Stina sighed and Dex frowned at her while Sophie raised a brow.

“Can you eat that?” She asked and Stina looked at the gummy snacks and then at Sophie.

“I can eat you instead.” Stina grumbled and they paused as they remembered she wasn’t the exact same Stina they knew. She was a vampire now.

“That was funny,” Stina muttered before turning in the direction of her room.

“Stina,” Biana started but Stina just rolled on.

“Come on,” Stina grunted. “Keefe’s not up but he’s terrible company.”

They all looked at each other before following quickly  behind, Elwin looking up from his desk as they entered the room. Sophie took a small moment to wave at Elwin before heading inside while Wylie held the door for everyone.

-

Stina chomped on one last gummy before crumbling the tiny bag into a ball and throwing it at the trashcan and missing by a mile.

“You’re staring.” She frowned at them, glancing up at them as Wylie looked away, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking at his shoes. 

“Just leave!” Wylie had screamed, turning around to face the girl in the cloak as she looked from him to the girl bleeding out in Biana’s arms.

“Wylie…” Biana whispered, her voice so soft, ready to break at any moment.

“What?!”

“...Stina.”

Wylie took a few slow deep breaths before looking up at Stina who glowered.

“Take a fucking picture it’ll last longer.” Stina snarled, her nose wrinkled as she shifted awkwardly in her bed.

“Why’d you call us over?” Sophie asked and Stina seemed to be taking it easy on Sophie for once because unlike the rest of them, who she snapped at whenever they asked if she was alright, Sophie got off scott free.

“The Council made a proposition.” Stina said seriously as they shared glances.

“The Slayer Council?” Fitz asked as Stina raised a brow, refusing to answer when they were obviously talking about the same council. 

“Same one,” Wylie whispered, putting a hand on Fitz’s shoulder. Stina looked at them before shaking her head and dragging her hand down her face.

“Biana,” Stina spoke up after taking a moment to breathe in and out slowly like her anger was nearing its breaking point.

“Yes?”

“Did you bring the notebook?” Stina asked and Biana nodded, fishing a black journaling book out of her bag along with a sleek pen. Stina held out her hand for it and Biana approached the new vampire as their hands brushed for a moment. Stina letting go of the journal and the pen, both things dropping onto her lap with the pen rolling off and onto the floor.

“Stina!” Wylie gasped but Stina held out her hand to stop him as Biana picked up the pen.

“Are you okay?” Biana asked, Stina ignored her question and took the pen out of Biana’s hands. Putting the pen on her lap where it wouldn’t fall before reaching for Biana’s hands again.

“It’s not you…” Stina whispered softly as Wylie looked at Fitz but Fitz was already looking at him for an answer. Wylie had no clue of course. He had only been able to visit twice since Stina woke from her coma and both times she hardly talked to him at all besides passing messages through him to the others.

“Fitz, come here.” Stina commanded and Fitz looked at her surprised, pointing to himself before stepping forward. She didn’t speak another word to him as she let go of Biana’s hand and latched onto his for a second.

“No.” Stina grunted, dropping his hands quickly. “Not you either…”

“Stina?” Biana asked cautiously. “What are you doing?”

“Shh!” Stina silenced before pointing a finger at Wylie, her eyes wild as Wylie took a step back.

“It’s not me!” He promised but what he wasn’t he didn’t know but Stina seemed to think before nodding and waving him away.

“What’s going on?” Dex demanded but Stina skipped right over him, sniffing at the air before pointing her finger at Sophie.

“You’re the one who smells.”

“Excuse me?” Sophie gawked.

“Com’ere.” Stina beckoned, wiggling her finger at Sophie as Sophie held up her hands, refusing to move.

“I showered!”

“You sure?” Dex asked and Sophie turned to jab him in the side.

“The shower!” Stina shouted, pointing at Dex who slowly drew his eyes to Stina and tried to move out of the line of her finger. Stina’s attention was called elsewhere as Sophie stood up from the chair and walked over to Stina.

“Stina, do we have to call Elwin-”

“Sophie listen,” Stina said seriously, grabbing Sophie’s jacket and pulling her in close enough to headbutt her. The others froze as Stina’s eyes went from crazy old witch from the woods to dead serious grizzled general. “Sophie, I need you to listen to me. The Council has eyes and ears everywhere. I don’t have a lot of time and there’s not much I can say to you right now. I need you to agree with me or else all of this was for nothing do you understand?”  Stina asked and Sophie nodded slowly.

“Good…good.” Stina sighed as she held Sophie’s jacket with one hand and with the other held up the journal.

“I need you,” Stina paused. “To get me back in my chair and wheel me over to the bathroom. You’re going to turn on the shower and then we can talk.”

“Stina I’m not-”

“Sophie!” Stina hissed, shaking Sophie lightly. “You’re the only one who can do this right now because you’re the only one who smells.”

“I don’t smell,” Sophie insisted but Stina groaned, gritting her teeth and gargling something unintelligible.

“What???” Sophie asked before getting yanked down by Stina who whispered in her ear as Sophie squinted, then made a face, then blinked, pulled away, looked at Stina who nodded seriously and let go of her jacket.

“Wylie, can you help me put Stina in her chair?” Sophie asked bewildered as Wylie stared at her.

“Are you serious?”

Sophie sighed. “Yes.”

Wylie and Fitz both looked at each other before moving to help Stina into her wheelchair as Sophie stood behind it and wheeled Stina into the bathroom. A moment later the shower hissed on and they all stood waiting.

“That book isn’t waterproof.” Biana said softly as she pointed at the bathroom door.

“Do I smell?” Fitz asked, lifting his arm at Biana.

“Ew! Fitz!”

Sophie, NOV 18 5:02 PM

“There,” Sophie said, turning on the shower as high as it would go before turning to Stina who was outside the spray of the water. Sophie crossed her arms as she looked at the long legged girl bound to a wheelchair as Stina looked at the water and nodded.

“Good job Sophie, Keefe was right about you.” Stina said as Sophie dropped her arms.

“Did Keefe-?”

“Keefe’s been asleep this whole time, lazy lump but its good that he is.” Stina nodded as she clapped her hands and stood up.

“Stina!”

“Don’t yell!” Stian hissed, holding the journal in her hand as she brought her finger to her lips. “This isn’t a soundproof room you know, whisper.”

“Stina, you have to sit down.”

“I can walk,” Stina said, rolling her eyes as she started to flip through the notebook.

“What??” Sophie gasped, looking from the chair to Stina. Sophie glanced inside the notebook to see Stina drawing to stick figures, one with an afro and the other with squiggly hair.

“Now, what I’m going to say to you is going to sound insane but you need to listen because it’s either me or Keefe and believe me, no one wants it to be Keefe.” Stina instructed but Sophie was totally lost.

“What is Keefe?”

“An idiot.” Stina answered and Sophie frowned.

“Stina-”

“The council came to me a few days ago with a proposition, I help journal my vampire discoveries and they will approve my discharge to continue my care at home- However!” Stina said, drawing lines between the stick figures. “While I could tell the council ‘no’ and to ‘shove it up their ass’ there is an issue. Your boyfriend.”

“What about Keefe?” Sophie asked seriously and Stina looked down at Sophie, her dark eyes softening slightly in a way that seemed almost kind. 

“They would’ve made him do this if I said no.” Stina sighed.

“What?” Sophie gasped and Stina nodded.

“His mom…I don’t know exactly what or how but I’m guessing it’ll be just as easy to guilt him into saying yes as it is to knock me over. Speaking of which, help me back down.” Stina winced, leaning on Sophie as Sophie stiffened and scrambled to help Stina in her chair.

“I thought you could walk.” Sophie snapped, it was just like Stina to lie.

“I can walk,” Stina argued. “I can walk seven steps.”

“Seven steps isn’t a lot.” Sophie scoffed as Stina rolled her eyes.

“Whatever!”

“Keefe?” Sophie prodded, wanting to get back at the council and their proposition.

“Right. We don’t know when Keefe is going to wake up or what state of mind he’s going to be in. There’s a major benefit to me agreeing to the Council which is the obvious, clarity of mind. If I run through their tests we’ll already have the advantage when Keefe comes around even if its just a little bit of knowledge. One day could make a difference.” Stina rattled on and Sophie nodded along, understanding completely but Stina was starting to lose her a little.

“Okay?” Sophie said slowly. “So what’s the issue?”

“Have you ever seen a vampire in daylight?” Stina asked and Sophie’s heart sank as the realization dawned on her. To test what a vampire could and couldn’t do they had to actually send someone out to do those things, walk into the sunlight, eat garlic, get hit by stakes.

“You signed on to be a crash test dummy?!” Sophie shouted, ignoring Stina’s earlier warning about the sound proofing because, “Are you crazy?! ”

“Wait! Wait! Wait! Hear me out,” Stina begged but Sophie shook her head. 

“No! No! You’re insane!” Sophie said, she crossed her arms and Stina frowned,they both knew each other for long enough for Stina to get the message loud and clear; Sophie wasn't budging. No matter how pitifully Stina tried to copy Keefe’s wet cat act.

“Oh come on,” Stina groaned, throwing her head back, throwing her hands up in frustration.

“Why not?” Stina snapped, her voice venomous but Sophie was used to Stina’s bite, years of seeing her toss rude remarks at everyone she passed build up an immune system Stina was currently unable to break through.

“I'm not going to let you vilify yourself and just go throwing yourself into whatever danger the council asks!” Sophie shouted, it was ridiculous that Stina would even ask her this in the first place. 

“Why not?” Stina growled, chopping the words into bits so each had more emphasis than the last. 

“Stina you're my friend ,” Sophie said exasperated, running her hands through her hair, pacing back and forth. “I'm not just going to let you act like you're some kind of monster just because you feel- I don't know Catholic guilt or something!”

“But if it's not me they’ll just go to Keefe!” Stina pointed out and Sophie grew more frustrated the more she thought about what the council was asking of them. How could they even think to ask this at all?? Stina and Keefe might not be human anymore but they’re not monsters!

“Then we’ll find another way!”

“So you’re saying if there was another way then you’d agree?!” Stina scoffed and Sophie nodded, astonished Stina was throwing herself around like this didn’t matter, like she didn’t matter. 

“Yes!” Sophie shouted when she should’ve looked at Stina’s face a little bit longer. Stina was talking about being the Council’s crash dummy but she was smiling.

“Good, glad to have you on board then.” Stina nodded as she ripped out the page she was writing on and handed it over to Sophie as Sophie stared at the paper blankly.

“Wait what?”

“You need to go home and get that to Kenric Fathdon. You’ll recognize him right away; he's a fashion disaster.” Stina nodded, back to business as Sophie gawked at her. 

“ What ?” Sophie repeated, really needing Stina to unravel what was going on because right now her head was spinning.

“Kenric will fill you in,” Stina dismissed. “Ask my dad for a ride but don’t give that paper to anyone else okay? You’re the only one I can trust for this.”

Sophie looked into Stina’s eyes and shook her head.

“Why me?”

“Because I have a secret.” Stina smiled and Sophie was taken aback. Stina never smiled, certainly never at her. There were a few rare occasions, yes but…

“Stina…” Sophie said slowly, hating to have to say this. “How do I…?”

How do I know I can trust this? How do I know I can trust you ? How do I know this isn’t you finally cracking after nearly dying?

Stina nearly died…

Sophie waited for Stina’s answer as Stina moved to turn off the shower.

“Because,” Stina sighed, looking at Sophie with undeniable sincerity. “I’m doing it for Keefe.”

STINA NOV 18 5:12PM

Sophie wheeled her out of the bathroom as the others shifted and stood at attention, guilt racked through her but Stina had to remain strong. She was lying to them all, playing them bit by bit but she needed this, needed the pieces to fit together just right.

I’m still human…

I’m still human…

Stina took a deep breath and looked over at Sophie who looked away.

“Okay, do we get an explanation now?” Dex demanded and Stina avoided looking at him. If she just ignored him she could get through this. Save him for last.

Stina couldn't believe herself, here she was, broken and breaking apart still faking bravado in front of an audience that would never believe her. They had all seen more blood in their whole lives than any of them reasonably should yet Stina was certain she was the only one who still needed therapy after killing a monster. Her middle screamed in agony from the earlier show of strength she had given Sophie. Thankfully no stitches had been torn but it was a close call.

“I…” Sophie hesitated, her worry sounding through the room like someone banging on a metal pipe. It was…freaky how Stina could feel her emotions so clearly without physical contact. The last time Stina had been able to hear someone like that had been the blurry, hazy, pain filled memories she didn’t want to look back on.

Sophie stole a glance at Stina before shaking her head.

“I have to go home.” Sophie whispered and Stina wanted so badly to breathe a sigh of relief.

“What?!” Dex exclaimed as he looked from Sophie to Stina, Sophie passed right by him but Fitz followed her out, calling after her.

“Stina, what did you do?” Biana asked, her brows furrowed as Stina looked from Biana to the swinging door and Biana was the next to leave.

“Stina!” Dex snapped and Stina turned to Wylie.

“I need a moment with Dex.” She said softly and then it was just them. Dex leaned against her bed and tapped his foot impatiently as Stina slowly brought her gaze to meet his, feeling his anger starting to overflow out of him in waves.

“Explain,” He said icily as Stina looked him over.

“You look good Dex,” She said earnestly.

“What did you say to Sophie?” Dex cut in, deflecting her small talk with a blade as his anger took shape. He wielded the weapon in his hand but he had already cut her long ago when he left her alone in that room.

“I’m tired Dex,” Stina sighed, looking up at the lights until her head hurt. They were so bright…

“Stina,” Dex said, his voice tried and Stina shared the sentiment, she was tired herself. It was shockingly difficult to keep acting like herself when she felt like anything but. 

“I haven’t eaten in two days.” That was a lie, sort of. Stina hadn’t had blood in more than two days and it was starting to take its toll. The Council had already come to her the day after Kenric had visited her, maybe they knew he talked to her or maybe they didn’t. Stina couldn’t tell. They asked her questions, set up the terms of the deal. She would be discharged as soon as she was deemed safe to be in public as much as she could be.

Kenric had exaggerated what the Council might ask her to do. They just wanted a documented report written by herself about the limitations of her vampirism, could she go a full day without blood and such. Simple things. Could she eat human food still, things like that. But Stina didn’t know if they’d be satisfied just learning about her new diet.

She wasn’t satisfied.

“You just ate?” Dex pointed out but Stina shook her head.

“That’s not what I mean Dex.” Stina whispered as Dex’s eyes cleared with understanding.

“I’ll call Elwin-”

“No.” Stina said sternly. “Any blood I get here is from the hospital itself, it doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. Patients need it.”

“ You need it!” Dex rebutted and while he had a point Stina shook her head again.

He was too much of a liability risk. He would follow her no matter how hard she pushed him away so she had to completely repulse him, make him hate her so much he wouldn’t dare come back. This was the only way…

For Keefe, I owe him.

She owed a lot of people.

“Stina you need to drink, you’re a vampire.” Dex said and Stina winced at the words.

No! I’m still human

“I can’t.” Stina snapped and Dex threw his hands up frustrated.

“Why not?”

“Dex, I’m supposed to be dead.” Stina reminded him, her voice dripping with the overflowing emotions she was holding in. The water splashed on the floor and started to fill the room drop by drop. “I was supposed to die, Dex! I’m not supposed to be here!” She started to shout.

It was so easy to yell at Dex, tell him truths and half lies. She could tell him the secrets of her heart with the wave of her hand but he would never stay, never for her.

Maybe that's what made it easier to push him away.

“Stina,” Dex dropped his head, looking down at the floor as he pressed his lips together.

“I’m supposed to be dead…”

“It was supposed to be me!” Dex screamed, his hands clutching the fabric of his shirt as his eyes filled with tears. “It was supposed to be me! I was the one in the way!!”

A tear slipped down his cheek as Stina shook her head.

“I’m the one it hit!”

“IT WAS STILL SUPPOSED TO BE ME!” Dex shouted over her as Stina snarled, shaking her head harder as she moved her chair closer. He took a step to match her own.

“BUT IT WASN’T! IT WASN’T YOU BECAUSE I TOOK THE SHOT!!” Stina screamed, wishing she could stand but she risked it once today already. 

“WHY DID YOU DO IT?!” Dex asked, grabbing her, falling to his knees in front of her chair. She was the one with the hole in her stomach but he was the one still bleeding. 

“ WHY? ” He begged to know; regret, fear, anger, helplessness, they flashed inside her mind and for a moment she could almost see it the other way around. His emotions wrapped around her, coiling around hers until her eyes started to sting with tears. He thought he lost her…

“WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?!” Stina shouted, throwing his hands off of her, pushing him away as he fell back on his butt, looking up at her in shock. “CELEBRATE! YOU ALMOST GOT RID OF ME!” Stina scoffed.

She was channeling it all then, all the years of hate, loathing, the burning fire of ultimate detestment. Every insult, every prank, every broken heart, all the glass they let rain and shatter. A web cracking around them until the final stone was in her hand and she had to make the choice to break the fragile glass bridge beneath their feet to prove her humanity.

“THE GREAT STINA HEKS!” She laughed, throwing her head back as she held out her arms. “DING FUCKING DONG THE BITCH IS DEAD!”

Do it!

She forced herself to look at him as Dex’s eyes filled with horror as she grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it up just enough. He flinched, curling into himself like he was trying to protect himself but the only person who could save him now was the one hurting him.

“LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT HOW CLOSE YOU GOT TO GETTING WHAT YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED!” Stina wept, her tears running free as a laugh shook through her, breaking down the walls she’s held up for years and years.

“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU ?!” Dex asked, covering his eyes, trying to keep the monster at bay but Stina wasn’t home anymore. The Stina he knew as a boy was an illusion. The girl he kissed had died when he left her alone in the morning. All that was left was her.

“GET OUT!!” Stina screamed at him, she pulled down her shirt and Dex scrambled to his feet. “GET OUT!!!” she wailed as he turned and ran out the door, nurses rushing in as Stina hed her stomach, trying not to throw up as something in her chest twisted, a knife she plunged into her own heart sank deeper into the shattered mess of her soul as she wished she were someone else, anyone else , she wished she weren’t here. Wished she didn’t have to do this. Wished she wasn’t here at all.

And maybe when the sun came up, she wouldn’t be.