"What do you mean Mr. Westover is missing?"

Rachel had been sitting in a chair in Argent's office for the past ten minutes in silence, her jacket pulled up over her head to block out the light that worsened her headache. Allison had been going over the map, repeating the exact same routine until a few seconds ago when her phone beeped & she announced another teacher had been taken, presumably to be ritually sacrificed.

"Do we even have a teacher named Mr. Westover?" Rachel peeked out from under her coat, squinting at the bright sunlight shining in through the window.

"He taught history." Allison informed, not bothering to look up from the map. If anything, she was now even more focused on it, since another sacrifice was almost guaranteed. It was no coincidence that a teacher, a philosopher, had mysteriously vanished.

"Doesn't Finstock teach that?" She furrowed her brows, shrinking back under her coat before the light began to burn her eyes; ten minutes in almost complete darkness made daylight feel like laser beams in her eyes. "Seriously. He teaches like four of my classes, the only other teachers I ever see are Blake & Harris— well, uh, I don't see Harris anymore, so just Blake."

Allison didn't reply, instead going over the map yet again. This time, she was tracing her fingers along each of the telluric currents, seeming to be in search of some type of pattern. Rachel watched her for a moment, waiting for the girl to say something or even look up from the sheet of paper, but when she didn't, she decided to question it.

"What are you doing?"

"If Mr. Westover was taken from the school, there's gotta be another point on the telluric current."

Rachel paused for a second, before putting her jacket back on like a normal person & getting up from the chair. She moved over beside Allison, studying the map just as the former huntress had done, her eyes locking on a small marking that was the faintest shade darker than the rest. "There." She tapped it. "That one's new."

"Then that's where he is." Allison declared, rearranging the papers on the desk back to their original setting. When she was satisfied with the placement, she headed for the door, unaware that Rachel wasn't following her. The reflector had taken out her phone & was in the midst of typing out a message to one of her many supernatural contacts.

To: derek's bitch #1
Pretty sure Argent is the Darach & Allison's dragging me along to go find him.

As soon as she hit send, her eyes moved up to the contact name— specifically, the #1. She tapped the edit icon & backspaced it, hitting save with a grim expression. There was now no longer a need for the #1, being that Isaac was Derek's only beta left alive.

From: derek's bitch
and thats my problem? Allison stabbed me with knives idc about her

To: derek's bitch
And her psychotic aunt shot me. My brother killed her mom & my uncle killed her aunt. She only stabbed you because she couldn't stab Derek— I'm sure she's sorry.

"Hey, aren't you coming?" Allison questioned, making Rachel finally look up from the screen of her phone. She made it to the elevator before realizing the reflector was not behind her, and proceeded to stand there waiting before realizing she wasn't coming.

From: derek's bitch
No she isnt

"This is a really random question, but do you feel bad for stabbing Isaac like five months ago?"

"No?" Allison shrugged, looking at the girl as if she were on drugs.

To: derek's bitch
Ok she isn't, but still. She might be the first person to stab you, but she won't be the last, trust me. I've lost count of how many times I've been stabbed, shot, punched, thrown & electrocuted. I've also nearly been torn apart by my siblings on full moons since I learned to walk & wandered into the cellar. Stop being a cry baby.

From: derek's bitch
I was gonna come help u because even though I hate Allison ur cute but ur also very mean so I'm gonna go to history class instead

To: derek's bitch
Mr. Westover is the next sacrifice. He went missing an hour ago. Meaning Finstock is gonna be the substitute.

From: derek's bitch
You know what? I'm feeling helpful & u guys shouldn't go after Argent alone

To: derek's bitch
Allison is a champion archer. Her family has been hunting mine since before I was born & they still haven't caught me. You, however, almost got cut in half by Gerard. And there was the time they almost killed you with wolfsbane in the jail cell.. Now that I think of it, you might be more of a nuisance than help. Have fun in history class!

"Rachel, seriously?" Allison commented, tapping her foot impatiently on the ground. She was leaning against the doorframe now, her arms crossed. It had only been two minutes, Rachel typed at the speed of light & Isaac replied even faster, but it was two minutes that could have been spent getting closer to their destination. "You can walk & text, we have to leave."

"Last time I walked & texted, I broke my nose." The girl responded, reluctantly getting up from her seat anyways. "I'm following you, Argent. Don't lead me into a wall or I will kill you." Her tone was deadly serious until her phone beeped. "Oh! He replied."

From: derek's bitch
The Gerard thing only happened because of the Kanima, the jail cell thing only happened because of the full moon and didn't u say Kate shot u?? She's an Argent so I guess they have caught u

To: derek's bitch
Only because Derek & Scott got led into a trap & I followed them because I'm an idiot. Conveniently, one of your near-death experiences was also caused by you being an idiot & accepting the bite, so I guess we're even. Still don't need your help.

From: derek's bitch
Ok then don't call me when u get shot

To: derek's bitch
Why would I call anyone? I know how to dig a bullet out. If it's poisoned with wolfsbane then I turn human & hope I don't bleed to death. Easy.

"Wall." Allison's voice got her attention in an instant, the brunette stopping just before she hit the back wall of the elevator. "Someone's got a crush."

"Shut up, Argent." Rachel grumbled, turning around just in time to see the elevator doors closing. Her accusations weren't exactly wrong— they might have been slightly definitely correct, but there was absolutely no way in hell that Rachel would admit it. Not now. Her phone beeped again, signalling a reply, but she didn't look at it.

Allison hit the ground floor button, a green glow igniting around it as the elevator began to descend down. The Argent girl took a step back so she was standing beside Rachel, her gaze moving down to the reflector's phone in her hand before back up to her face. "Aren't you going to read it & reply?"

"Nope."

"What were you talking about?"

"Your dad murdering us." Rachel replied nonchalantly, as if it were a lighthearted everyday topic. For her it was, as she was accustomed to most of the Argent family wanting to put a bullet in her head— it wouldn't come as a surprise if one did it. Even if he had helped them at one point, he'd done it for the sake of human lives, not werewolf lives. Rachel did not trust any members of the Argent family, nor would she ever.

"Oh." Allison mumbled, her gaze shifting down to the ground. "That's nice." She fell silent for a few seconds, before picking up another conversation. "So are you two—"

"No." Rachel answered before Allison was able to finish her sentence. She knew what she was going to ask, and the answer was most definitely no, they were not dating. Why did everyone thing that? First Scott, now Allison— Rachel was almost scared to know what assumptions Lydia had made. "We're not."

"Do you want to be?"

"No." She responded, but it came out sounding more like a question. Rachel didn't know what she wanted, but she knew how everything in her life had a tendency to work out in the worst possible ways. "It wouldn't work."

"Because of your brother?" Allison raised a brow, wondering if there was more to Derek than what she thought— was he an overprotective brother? Behind closed doors, behind the fačade of being a complete & utter asshole, did he actually act like Rachel's guardian? Or were her assumptions correct, that he was just a menace to everyone including his family.

"Because of everything." Rachel corrected her. Allison stared back with a look of confusion on her face, prompting the reflector to elaborate. "People here in Beacon Hills, they're ephemeral, okay? Maybe not in the little bubble wrapped world your dad has made for you, but in mine, they are. Every day could be your last. I go to sleep each night half expecting to wake up staring down the barrel of a gun, or to not wake up at all. It's who— it's what I am."

"You don't want to date because you think you're going to die?"

"I don't want to date because I know I'm going to die, and so is everyone else in this damned town at the rate things are going." She spoke as if the news were from last year, something Allison should have know by now. It was true, the huntress should have realized sooner or later that death would close in on them— it had already gotten Boyd & Erica, and it was going to get them all eventually. "What's the point?"

"The point? To fall in love." Allison shrugged. What else would the point be? Date, fall in love, make mistakes & learn from them— it was a part of growing up, a part of life. A part of life her life she would never forget. "Don't you want that?"

"I saw what it did to you & Scott— I saw how it blinded you."

"It didn't blind me."

"Yeah, it did. Love is a menace, Allison." Rachel exhaled as the elevator halted, a shrill ding emitting as the doors opened. She stepped out, looking back to her friend who was still standing there, in awe that she could despise something she'd never felt so much. With one final statement, Rachel turned back towards the exit & headed for Allison's car. "I don't want it."

—

"An abandoned power plant." Rachel concluded as they exited Allison's car, heading towards what she assumed to be the front of the massive structure. The most prominent feature were the pillars, undoubtedly well over thirty feet high, forming something similar to a giant hallway the length of the building. The sun was bright, contrasting horribly with the shadows cast by the stone structure & making it next to impossible to see whatever was between each of the pillars— Rachel was sure it wasn't solid wall, though. "We're definitely getting murdered here. This is the setting of every horror movie I've ever seen."

"Stay behind me & stay quiet." Allison instructed her, slowly advancing forward down the hall with caution.

"Need I remind you, I'm the one with claws?" The reflector commented, staying beside Allison despite her attempts to move out in front of her. Rachel could get shot & survive, meanwhile Allison wasn't immune to mortal wounds— there was a thin line between bravery & stupidity, and Allison was beginning to fall towards the wrong side. "By the way, if your dad tries to kill me, I'm gonna try to kill him. You can come live with me, if I succeed."

"If my dad tries to kill you, you'll be dead."

"You dad has tried to kill me. So have your mom, aunt & grandfather." And look where they ended up. Rachel wanted to add it, but she knew the subject of Allison's mom wasn't one to bring up. She knew she'd died just like the others; a code breaker, a monster just as bad as those she hunted, but Rachel could tell the girl had chosen to ignore it rather than accept it. "Your entire family has tried to kill me, Allison. This is why we've never had a sleepover."

"Feelings mutual, your brother & uncle have tried to kill me." The huntress responded, her voice low as she continued forward, giving Rachel no other choice than to follow if she wanted to continue the conversation.

"Derek has never actually tried to kill you." Rachel spoke like the horrific night at the school Derek had been blamed for wasn't a big deal. It wasn't his fault Scott's two brain cells were too preoccupied worrying about Allison to think of someone else to blame. "And Peter doesn't count, he's tried to kill all of us. He threw me through a window."

"He killed Kate right in front of me."

"That reminds me, I gotta get him a thank you card for that. Do you know where to buy a "thank you for finally killing the psychotic bitch that burned our family alive" card? Oh, it should also mention the part where she shot my brother with a wolfsbane bullet & nearly killed him. And the part where she shot me." Rachel listed it all off in the most sarcastic tone, taking a page from Stiles' book on sarcasm. In hindsight, Allison probably should have though a little more about Kate's past before using her as an example of a loss— the day of her death was a national holiday in Rachel's mind. Bye, bitch, I hope you're burning down below. "Do you smell that?"

"What?"

Smoke. From the fire. That Kate started. "Blood." Rachel set aside her anger, opting to go with the truthful answer. As much as she wanted to rant off a thousand reasons why Allison should never miss Kate, ever, she had to focus on why they were there— to prevent another sacrifice from happening.

"Where?" The Argent girl questioned, looking around in search of the source. "What direction?"

Rachel raised a hand, pointing towards the end of the hall. As soon as she looked, really looked, at the doorway, she took notice of a chain link fence; most of all, she took notice of someone hanging from it. The Darach soon came into focus behind the person, staring dead at Allison & Rachel— both girls equally panicked by the sight of the serial killer. Allison, took a step forward to start running towards it, but was halted as a voice called out.

"Get down!"

Chris Argent yelled from behind them, Rachel falling to the floor before he'd even finished speaking. She was not getting shot— not today, not tomorrow, not any day. Allison was down beside her a few seconds later, bullets soon beginning to fly overhead as the older Argent hurried down the hall towards the Darach. Allison ran off to the side by one of the pillars, practically dragging Rachel with her as the brunette refused to be more than a foot off the ground whilst gunshots still echoed through the stone structure. Bullets sparked against the metal fence, but seemed to do no harm to the dark druid behind it.

Shots ceased for all of five seconds as Argent ran out of ammo, resuming after he reloaded both guns terrifyingly fast. Rachel was almost glad to be on sort of the same team as him (she assumed they were on okay terms, seeing as how he wasn't firing at her) because running away from someone who could reload a gun that quickly would be next to impossible.

"Help him!" Argent yelled at them as he chased after the Darach, who began to flee as he neared.

Allison & Rachel hurried after him, stopping at the fence to attempt to help the sacrifice, but it was to no avail. Rachel knew as soon as she approached, she could hear the silence within his chest— there was no heartbeat. She shook her head at Allison, who was about to check for a pulse but stepped back, a grim expression on her face.

"That's Mr. Westover." Allison announced, a look of realization soon replacing the sorrow. "It's not guardians as in law enforcement. It's philosophers as in teachers. Text Scott."

Rachel nodded, taking out her phone & typing a quick text to Scott.

To: McWeirdo
So Allison & I found a dead body.. Tell Lydia to step up her game. It's Mr. Westover, he was apparently our history teacher— that means it's not cops, it's teachers. Go to class & make sure no one gets taken!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"I put a lot of exclamation points for exclamation." Rachel muttered to Allison who'd been looking over her shoulder as she typed the text.

From: McWeirdo
Are u coming to the recital??

To: McWeirdo
I am now, when does it start?

From: McWeirdo
half hour

"Alli, the recital's in a half hour, we should get going." Rachel pursed her lips, looking back at the dead body of her history teacher hanging from the chain link fence. "Call the cops & leave an anonymous tip so they find him." She looked back towards the exit to see Chris Argent knelt down, collecting spent shells. "Or ask him to."

Rachel instantly regretting acknowledging Allison's father as soon as the young huntress hurried over to him. "You've been tracking the killer on your own this whole time?"

"Yeah, and I was this close." Argent sighed, standing up with a handful of shells. He tucked them in his jacket pocket, looking around for others— him covering his tracks so well was partly why Allison had yet to learn of what he'd been doing until now. "Could've caught him if the two of you.."

As he trailed off, Rachel raised her hands defensively & took a step back. "This was all Allison, I was just back-up. Blame her."

Allison shot her a side eyed glare, but remained focused on what her father had said. "So it's my fault?" She gaped. "That you've been lying to me for the past two months?"

"You wanna tally up the lies, Allison?" Her father questioned. He had her on that one— the more Rachel thought of it, the more Allison seemed like a compulsive liar. It may have been to protect people most of the time, but still, the reflector didn't know how Argent was able to believe anything his daughter said anymore. "I don't think you're gonna come out ahead on that one."

"Hey, uh— I really don't mean to interrupt, but um, Allison, we really gotta go." Rachel cut in before their argument could continue & escalate. She was an expert on arguing, she did it every day; and no doubt this would end in a yelling match if Allison & her father were anything like Rachel & her brother; two strong, independent people with very different opinions on how to handle things. "There's still one more teacher."

Argent seemed to pick up on what she was hinting at. "The recital."

"Guess we're all going after all."

—

UNEDITED.

stayed up until 5am writing this, please appreciate it. allison & rachel still have a lot of unresolved issues *cough* kate ar(sonist)gent *cough* but i do hope to eventually make them good friends. i'm so excited to get closer to 3b, i have such evil plans. let me know your theories on what you think's going to happen! so far no one has been anywhere close, so i think that means i'm doing this right. right?

also, in case you haven't seen it, i republished my old story daughter of anarchy! please go check it out :-)