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𝐓 𝐇 𝐄   𝐃 𝐑 𝐄 𝐀 𝐃   𝐃 𝐎 𝐂 𝐓 𝐎 𝐑 𝐒

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"Sorry, I'm late. Got caught up with Scott," Dax apologized with a slightly guilty smile.

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to," Brett said with a grin as he moved to let Dax in.

"It took you this long to come and see me?" Lori crossed her arms.

Dax looked over to Brett for help, but Brett raised his hands in surrender, "I'm not involved in this one."

"I'm sorry, Lori. I've been a bit busy," Dax answered. Lori glared at him.

"He was really sick last night," Brett was leaning against the wall.

"But I'm here now and that's all that matters," Dax said with a hesitant smile.

"You're lucky that I love you," Lori muttered as she wrapped Dax into a hug.

"I'm glad to be lucky," Dax smiled as he ruffled her hair.

"Sorry to steal him away, Lori, but I need him to help me study," Brett said as he pushed himself off the wall.

"It's fine because he is driving me home tomorrow," Lori smiled.

"Lori, I can drive," Brett sighed.

"Nope. He loves me so he's driving me," Lori crossed her arms.

"Alright, Lori, I will drive you home," Dax smiled.

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"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Brett asked as he looked at Dax. The two boys were sprawled on Brett's bed with a physics book and some notes separating them. Dax was lying on his stomach with his legs hanging off the foot of the bed while Brett was sat at the head of the bed with his knees in his chest. Dax had been somewhat out of it, but he was hoping Brett hadn't noticed.

"Just thinking about something I read," Dax shrugged as he tried to play it off.

"What'd you read?" Brett asked as he laid on his stomach making it to where Dax and Brett's faces were a few inches apart.

Dax's eyes glanced down to Brett's lips as he began talking, "My Uncle's journal. The one from 1547, and I still have to read one from 1787, and another one from 1999."

"Why those specific ones?" Brett asked as his eyes glanced down to Dax's lips before returning to his eyes.

"The things that killed Lucas... They have a bit of history with my family, but not close enough for me to know when they went into the pit," Dax said as he pushed himself up and sat where he was leaning against the wall. Brett began to gather his physics notes and closed his books, "No, Brett, you need to study."

"I'll be fine," Brett said as he set his books on the ground.

"Your test is tomorrow," Dax sighed as he looked up to Brett who was scooting closer to him.

"No, my test is in three days," Brett countered. Dax gave him a confused look. Brett wrapped his arm around Dax and pulled him close, "I lied because I wanted to spend time with you."

"I should be pissed at you for lying," Dax raised an eyebrow.

"But you aren't."

"What makes you think that?"

"Stop trying to change the subject, D. Talk to me."

Dax sighed and bit his lip as stared at his hands that were in both of their laps, "I avoid those journals as much as I can. They scare the shit out of me... My family wasn't always the villain of the story, and those journals describe exactly how it happened... And it brings up memories from when I went to SS," Dax admitted as hugged himself. Brett pressed a kiss to Dax's hair and squeezed him tightly, "I don't get how Hope stays there," Dax admitted quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"The school... it picks and chooses what it wants to teach. The vampires there don't even know they have a humanity switch, and they don't know how to resist human blood because they're never around it. They don't know what a ripper is. The witches only learn defensive spells. They don't prepare the kids for fighting hunters or other things that want you dead... And they teach the origin of all the species, which includes my family. They only teach the bad about the Original family. They leave out journals of a man who hated my uncle, and they talk of all the atrocities my family has committed when they leave out the sins the Salvatore brother's committed because Damon has kids and Stefan is dead and it's good to honor the dead, but the Mikaelsons don't deserve that same right," Dax ranted as he began to cry, "Do you know how hard it is to listen to everyone trash talk your family while you're pretending to be someone else?"

"I'm sorry, baby," Brett muttered as he held onto Dax.

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"Dude you have got to stop crushing on her," Dax sighed as he jogged up.

"I am not," Liam said defensivley.

"You just proved my point," Dax said loudly as Liam ran up to the goal. He shot the ball and missed the entire net, "I think you missed."

"Shut the hell up," Liam sighed. The two boys watched as Hayden kicked a soccer ball and made the goal. Liam frowned as he picked up another ball and shot it in the net making his shot. Dax laughed when Hayden made her second soccer goal.

"I see this is a competition now," Dax commented. Liam hit the goalie with the ball sending him flying back, "Damn, Liam."

"Sorry!" Liam called as he ran over. Dax jogged up behind him and the two boys pulled him off the ground.

"It's fine," The goalie said.

"You gonna tell me why she gets under your skin before or after you hurt someone?" Dax muttered as they jogged over to the stands where Brett and Mason were.

"I'm not going to hurt anyone."

"Goalie says otherwise," Dax said as he threw his arms into the air. Dax smiled as Brett leaned over the fence and planted a kiss on his lips, "Hello to you too."

"I have got to get a boyfriend," Mason muttered from next to Brett. Dax chuckled at his comment.

"I'll be your copilot, Liam can be your wingman," Dax smiled.

"What about me?" Brett asked.

"Your my hot flight attendant," Dax answered. 

All laughing stopped when a kid with brown hair came out onto the field yelling, "Does anyone here have asthma? Anyone got an inhaler?"

"Scott," Liam muttered.

"Scott has asthma?" Dax asked.

"Liam, Scott's a werewolf. Even if he did have asthma it wouldn't affect him," Brett reminded Liam.

"No, I know it's him."

"See you after school!" Dax called as he ran after Liam.

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"I've got it!" Liam yelled as he and Dax ran through the halls, "I've got the inhaler!"

Liam and Dax kneeled next to Scott. Liam placed the inhaler into Scott's hand, "Scott," Dax muttered.

"Scott, come on," Liam shook his shoulder.

"I don't think it's working," Dax said quietly. 

Liam glared at him for a moment before looking at Scott with glowing yellow eyes, "Scott," He growled quietly. Scott snapped out of it and began wheezing more. He looked to Dax and Liam wide-eyed before using the inhaler.

"Thanks," Scott said as he took a deep breath. Liam nodded.

"What the hell just happened?" Dax asked quietly.

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"I'm only a little offended you guys didn't invite me," Dax commented as landed a kick to the dread doctor's chest sending him flying back, "Malia help Ms. McCall get Scott into the elevator," Dax said before snarling at the dread doctor with his fangs. Dax claws the dread doctor's abdomen. The dread doctor looked at him for a moment before dropping something. 

Once it hit the floor purple-ish smoke deployed into the room. Dax felt as his throat, lungs, and skin began to burn. He wheezed as he began running to the elevator, "Dax, come on! Run!" Melissa yelled. Malia pulled Dax into the elevator in time for the door to shut on the dread doctor. 

Dax fell to the ground and gasped for air as the burns on his skin began to heal. The ones in his lungs were taking longer. Dax wheezed as he gathered himself.

"We never should have read that book," Scott said.

"What the hell was that?" Malia asked.

Dax slowly pushed himself off the ground, "They had vervain, but it was modified... They know they're dealing with a tribrid."

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"You know him?" Theo asked after Stiles uncovered the body.

"Damn," Dax muttered as he looked at the damage on the chimera's neck.

"His name's Josh. He was a junior," Scott said as he began to pace. Stiles looked back to Theo before covering the body.

"Which one did it? The one with the cane?" Scott questioned. Stiles looked to Theo.

"Yeah," Theo nodded.

"What are we going to do with him? We can't just set the alarm and leave. That's how Tracy disappeared," Stiles said, "Someone's got to stay here with him."

"I'll do it," Theo volunteered, "It's not like I had a big Saturday night planned."

Scott pulled out his phone and his eyes widened slightly, "What is it?" Dax asked.

"Another one. Another chimera," Scott said as he looked up the three boys in the room.

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"Next time you decide to go and tell a girl that she is a chimera, let me help," Dax said quietly as he hit Liam on the back of the head. Liam glared at him.

Scott knocked on the bathroom, "Hayden...? It's Scott. I know that you're scared, but we just- we wanna help," Scott tried, but nothing happened. Dax's eyebrows furrowed as he hears the girl's heart, "I can hear her heart beating. She's really freaked out. What happened?"

"She was okay when we got here. I went to text you for two seconds and she locked herself in," Liam explained.

"At least it was voluntary this time," Dax commented remembering Liam's story about Scott and Stiles kidnapping him.

"Why?" Stiles asked as he glared at Dax.

"I don't know," Liam shrugged.

"She's definitely a chimera?" Scott asked.

Liam nodded, "She said she heard a voice saying 'Your condition improves'."

"Okay, that's unsettling," Stiles admitted as he stepped closer to the bathroom door, "Hayden?" Stiles knocked softly, "This is Stiles. Your sister works with my dad down at the station. Look, just open the door, okay? You can trust us."

"We are just here to tell you the truth," Scott tried again.

"And that kind of thing tends to be better when it's face to face," Dax added in.

"Listen, either you're going to unlock the door, or I'm going to have to break it open. It-It's okay if you don't want to talk, or if you're not ready to believe us. But I just... I gotta know that you're okay in there," Scott rambled slightly. It was beginning to feel like their words were falling on deaf ears as they stared at the door.

Scott readied himself to break open the door when it slowly cracked open. Scott looked back to everyone confused. Dax shrugged. Scott slowly pushed the door open to reveal Hayden. She had yellow eyes, claws, and fangs.

"I believe you," She said as she looked up scared.

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"Hey," Dax smiled as he hugged Brett.

"You ready?" Brett asked as he intertwined their fingers.

"I have to stay at the school," Dax answered.

"What? Why?" 

"We have a chimera, and we're keeping her safe."

"Why the school?"

"Something about telluric currents," Dax shrugged slightly, "You know I didn't listen to the specifics."

"I'm helping."

"Can you let the immortal tribrid be the one in harm's way just this once?"

"Nope. I'm helping. Besides we were supposed to stay at your place tonight."

Dax sighed, "Fine. Please, just be careful," Dax said as he cradled Brett's cheek.

"Always," Brett nodded with a smirk. Dax glared slightly.

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"So let me get this straight," Brett started. Brett and Dax were in the halls near an entrance.

"Pretty challenging when only one of us is half straight," Dax answered.

Brett glared at him before continuing, "Liam has a crush on a chimera, and so we're protecting her, but she's also the girl he punched in the sixth grade on picture day."

"That's what happened?" Dax asked, "How come you know and I don't?"

"Mason told me."

"When we figure this out and get rid of the bad guys, you want to go out and do something?" Dax asked.

"How can you be so sure we'll win?" Brett asked.

"Because I can't lose anyone else," Dax answered as he looked up to Brett, "Because the good guys can't die this much and still lose."

Brett pulled Dax into his chest. He rested his chin on the top of Dax's head, "We'll win," Brett assured him quietly. They slid down to the floor and leaned against the wall.

"Take turns on watch?" Dax offered.

"You sleep first," Brett said, "I took a nap in seventh period."

"Deal," Dax muttered as he snuggled in close to Brett. He rested his head on Brett's shoulder.

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Dax woke up to the sound of a car cranking. They shared a concerned look, "Parrish?" Dax asked quietly.

"Where the hell is he going?" Brett muttered. They walked towards the front. Dax screamed as he felt vervain and wolfbane laced arrow shoot into his leg. He fell to the ground. He looked to his hands panicked to see that they were bound by vervain and wolfsbane laced ropes as well as the cursed shackles. He took a panicked breath as he watched Papa Tunde's blade go into his chest. He cried out in pain. He looked up to see a woman he barely recognized in front of him.

"How's it feel to be powerless, Dax?" She smirked slightly.

Her name was Sophie. She was second in command in Freya's coven. Dax was always scared that his allies would turn against him for being a freak of nature.

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Brett looked up to the door when he heard the car cranking. Dax woke up on his shoulder and the two boyfriends shared a concerned look, "Parrish?" 

"Where the hell is he going?" Brett muttered as they stood up. They began walking to the door. Brett looked over at Dax with wide eyes when he cried out in pain and collapsed to the floor.

Brett wasn't far behind when he felt his legs begin to burn. He looked down panicked to see that his legs were on fire. Brett yelled in pain as he collapsed to the ground. Soon the fire and heat surrounded him. He yelled as the pain got more intense.

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Dax gasped as he shot up, "What the hell!" He said as he launched himself back and got ready to fight.

Mason raised his hands in defense, "Sorry, I was just trying to help. You said pain made you human."

Dax looked over to Brett to see him in pain on the ground. Dax thought about it for a second before pulling out his claws and scratching Brett's arm. Brett gasped loudly as he sat up.

"What just happened?" Brett asked as he panted.

"You go find Malia, Lydia, and Scott. We'll go to Liam and Hayden,"  Dax assured Mason as he helped Brett to his feet.

Dax and Brett carefully made their way to the locker room, "Nice seeing you guys," Dax commented as Malia and Lydia came up. The four teenagers made their way into the locker room to see it was empty. Dax cursed quietly as he kicked a hole into the wall.

"They're gone," Lydia said.

"Hayden and Liam are gone," Malia added.

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