Fight Till We Die

Eyes in the Dark

Love is a thing full of cares and fears.

- Ovid

"Come, my little wolf." Talia took Libby by the hand and walked her far from their home. Along the crunching of late autumn leaves, Talia spoke to her daughter with great pride, "Something you'll learn in time, Sweet One, is that love is a dangerous, wonderous thing. Love is reckless and it is protection. Sometimes that protection hurts. I did what I did to protect your brother. To protect Uncle Peter." Talia squeezed Libby's hand as she looked down at the nine-year-old, with a grim face, "You will not, I think, understand this for some time, and you might even resent me for it but know it is out of trust that I don't make you forget. My sweet, Elisabeth, you are the strongest of us all, not just in power, but in heart. You feel so strongly and that is where your power resides. We are predators, and we will make mistakes, but we do not have to be killers. It is in this that I trust you most of all. I love you, my little protector, I love you and in time, I believe that will come to hurt, but don't let the hurt outweigh your heart. Remember where your strength lies."

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Libby's head whipped off the desk where a hand slammed down inches before her nose. Instantly she felt the threat in the air and her eyes darted over her surroundings in a frantic haze.

"Miss Hale." Mr. Harris, her chemistry teacher, stood before her with a glare that would level a house. "I understand you had a rough night, but that does not mean sleeping in my class is permitted. Do, please, keep your head off the desk."

The man walked around her table, towards the back of the classroom, and Libby felt certain she could snap the thin man in half if she dared try. Catching Stiles' eye, Libby forced herself to calm.  Stiles watched her with a question in his eyes. Are you okay?

The sound of the door had Libby turning back around. She watched as Jackson strode in, and sat at his table to her right. He didn't speak and hardly looked up. Mr. Harris strode for the boy and placed a hand on his back, his action sent chills down Libby's spine, and she wanted nothing more than to rip his hand off Jackson.

"Jackson, if you need to leave early for any reason... You let me know." Libby scoffed at his display of concern for Jackson when they both were at the movie store the night before. She didn't particularly care that Mr. Harris was rude to her, but it was the principle of the thing.

Mr. Harris continued on his tirade, "Everyone, start reading Chapter Nine. And Mr. Stilinski try putting the highlighter down between paragraphs. It's Chemistry. Not a coloring book." Libby glanced behind her to see paragraphs of Stiles' book grazed over in a bright red highlighter. She sent him a bemused look and ignored the glare he sent back.

After Mr. Harris went to his desk in the front of the room, Libby heard a "Psst." come from the boy behind her.

Glancing at the teacher, Libby turned slightly toward him, but he wasn't looking at her.

"Danny? Can I ask you a question?" 

The boy beside her didn't move a muscle, and muttered under his breath, "No." 

Libby caught his eye as he whispered back, "I'm going to anyway. Did Lydia show up in your homeroom today?"

It was like she was watching a tennis match, the way her head swiveled between each boy.