It was a line Stiles Stilinski never thought he'd hear a counsellor say:

'I think you should talk to someone.'

His fingers had stopped knotting the hole in his lacrosse stick as he stared at her. He frowned and looked around, making a show that he was talking to someone. That's why he was here, in a the school counsellor's office. He gave her a look and Ms. Morrell went back to what she had previously diagnosed him with.

"You say you can't sleep, are constantly jumpy and have a constant overwhelming fear that something bad is about to happen." She said, "Something tells me if you spoke to a certain Ms. Rodriguez that this might ease a lot of your troubles."

"It doesn't work like that." Stiles said, ignoring how she knew about Violeta or why she would bring her up. "Surely you know that one person can't make everything bad in the world go away."

"True," Morrell said, "but I know that certain people can make you feel like it does."

"So you're saying I should talk to Violeta and then everything will magically sort it ourself out? That dad and I will become fine? Scott's own problems will sort out? Him and Allison would get better? Issac, Erica, Boyd?"

"I'm saying that you're breathing. Right now, there is air flowing in and out. It might not feel like it is, but it is." Morrell said. "Sometimes, it takes certain people so you can truly feel it."

Now, Stiles Stilinski stood outside the simple white house. He looked at the flowers blooming in the bushes outside and wondered if she should've bought a bouquet of flowers with him.

The door opened and Tomei walked out, a bag in her arm. She did a double-take, seeing the boy there.

"Um..." She said.

"Is Violeta in?"

"Why?"

"I need to see her."

"No."

Stiles sighed and kicked a stone. He dug his hands in his pockets, expecting this. "I know she doesn't want to see me but-"

"No." Tomei said. "I'm not letting you see her."

Stiles staggered in surprised at that. Tomei hadn't exactly been subtle in her desires to get them together. She was just like the rest, actively urging them together, but also being active in trying to get it to happen. During the weeks that he'd spent at their place after abuela Maria's death, she would often claim she had to leave the house to pick up milk and not be back until three hours later. She was the only who told him to stand by her at the funeral. She was the one who woke him up to show him Violeta playing the ukulele.

"What? Why?" Stiles demanded, becoming filled with such anger that this person in front of him had prevented Violeta and him from being... from interacting.

"You refused her, Stiles." Tomei said. "You openly rejected her. Not once, twice. D-Bo gave you a ticket, an open invitation, and you refused. Then she told you. She somehow managed to get it out to you and tell you that with what she is, she has a soulmate, a predestined whole other who is literally perfectly suited to her and you went nah and ran off."

"I was drugged with wolfsbane." Stiles said. "I had just... I had seen something and didn't know what was real and not." He admitted. "I thought it was another sick joke my mind was playing. I ran off before she could laugh in my face or yell that she wished it wasn't me."

Tomei's face immediately fell at that.

"Stiles," Tomei said, "I don't think you understand. Her grandmother died because she can't actually go on living without Violeta's grandfather. I know it sounds like something in a Nicholas Sparks movie-"

"-he's actually an author." Stiles couldn't help but interject.

"—but," she gave him a pointed look, "it's more than just oh, I love you! Oh, I love you too! This is a matter of if you guys aren't around eachother, you feel like... like," Tomei trailed off, exasperated and unable to find the right word.

"Like you're drowning." He finished for her, a faraway look in his eyes.

Silence.

It all suddenly made sense.

Then -

"No dipshit!" Tomei said, slapping the side of his head. "This is worse. This... this is more than that. This is a dull ache that's constant and it's not going away. You're passing by your days, existing in a dull, lifeless, cycle that feels meaningless and it's like you can only see colours when you're with them because otherwise you're just colourblind and you don't realise you've been freaking out because you saw them and when you saw them you feel this immense relief and colours come back and you feel like yeah, you can actually live because love is life, asshole!" Tomei yelled.

Then added, continuing in her angry yell, "And I'm not sorry that I'm talking about colours a lot because I got new paint and I'm excited for it!"

"I..." Stiles didn't know what to say to that. "I, uh."

"I don't think you know how much it- Stiles, you haven't fully accepted the bond," Tomei said with an eye-roll at the word. "So I know you don't feel it but for Vi, she's," Tomei laughed a dry laugh, "she's been talking about you since before abuela fell ill and asked me to bring Violeta to her because she needed to talk to her about her future destiny."

"What?" He asked, unable to believe what he was wearing... this would mean that she had taken note of him before Scott had even gotten bitten. "You're saying..."

"I'm saying there was no way Violeta could have ever had anyone else." Tomei said. "And if I'm being completely honest, I would put you as the reason she's never had anyone else."

"Where is Tomei?" Stiles demanded, "Come on Tomei I need to see her."

"No."

"No? What do you mean no!?"

"I mean if you're going to try and get her back... well you're going to have to do it Nicholas Sparks style."

-

"He's just... it's not Scott."

"Might I remind you that you didn't know anything was up until you saw him."

"Oh, I knew something was up. He was sneaking out. He's grades have slipped significantly and he-"

"-was still the same sweet, a little naive at times kid whose ignorance is actually cute?" Violeta finished for the older woman. "Yeah, that's definitely not Scott."

"But the Principal!" Melissa shook her head as she picked up the coffee mug with the name KENNY'S written on the side. When Melissa had called her this morning, telling her that Gerard had come with that lizard thing again, Violeta knew they needed to have a solid chat. Thus, at the café/comic book shop/arcade was where she told her to meet.

"Allison's from a family of hunters." Violeta explained. "They're mainly army brat so they're really dicky." She said. "Gerard clearly needs a punch in the face. Or twelve."

"How can you be so calm?" Melissa said, slightly miffed that Violeta didn't really react much when she told her the news.

"To be quite frank, I expected him to do it." Violeta said. "I gave the Argent's Matt and told them they could seek the fitting punishment for his crimes. Then it turns into a freak drowning and Gerard has the kanima, the er, the lizard thing." She corrected, seeing Melissa's face. "He saw a power move and sought after it and proved that he's not fighting for what's right and order and justice and all that other stuff them hunters love to preach."

"So... what are you going to do?" Melissa asked, taking another sip. "Matter of fact, what are you?"

Violeta smiled at the older woman. "You know my grandma." At this, Melissa's eyes grew as she realised Violeta's role in all this. It suddenly clicked. Her mother had died and so the next in line was her. She just never expected it such a responsibility to fall to such a young girl.

Melissa McCall only knew tidbits. Stuff her own mother told her about the Rodriguez line and stuff she'd picked up on as her time as being Maria's nurse. Suddenly, everything seemed a lot less troublesome knowing Violeta was on everything. She didn't question her intentions in regards to the Principal and wondered what she was going to do about him and the lizard thing.

But she was still worried about Scott.

"He's blackmailing Scott." Melissa said.

"Yes, I know. He told me." Violeta said. "However, have peace in the knowledge that I know it will not end well for Gerard."

"Why do you say that?"

"Let's just say he's done far too much bad for any good to lay in his future."

Melissa's eyes grew slightly, hearing Maria's voice in Violeta as she said yet again a Rodriguez woman said such a profound thing that left her dumbfounded.

"I know it's not my place but you really ought to sit with Scott and talk about this." Violeta said. "My aunt's birthday's coming up and I want to redecorate the entire house and paint the outside. I trust your taste and we can use Scott as manual labour."

Melissa sighed and thought about it. "That sounds like a nice project. It would take everyone's mind off it." She then looked at Violeta and thought about a particular sarcastic teenager. "I'll do it if you talk to Stiles."

Violeta's face fell into a scowl. Melissa's lips turned into a sly smile and Violeta relented, agreeing and saying she might even invite Noah.

"He would be able to help move new furniture in!" Melissa said, her mind going into overdrive as she thought about the new project. Violeta smiled into her coffee as the nurse began loudly brainstorming ideas for Violeta's house even though she'd never visited it. So, Violeta patiently answered all of Melissa's questions about the house and was satisfied with giving something to ease the woman's mind.

The pair ended up spending the entire afternoon together at Kenny's, even ordering lunch and another two rounds of coffees and endless tea. The only reason Violeta said they should leave was because Melissa needed to go watch Scott play the championship lacrosse game.

"Aren't you coming?" Melissa asked as they were paying. Violeta shrugged, not really bothering to watch it. "Come on, it's the championship. And I need to see Scott and finally talk to him and say that I love him." It was the last part that swayed Violeta who nodded and let the woman take her to her car and drive them to school.

Melissa followed Violeta to the howls emanating from the entry of the boy's locker room. Walking in, she frowned when she heard a loud whistle and heard a laugh beside her. Glancing at Violeta, the girl explained that the Coach recycled his speeches.

"Good morning!" The Coach said through a speakerphone even though it was very well now nighttime. "In less than an hour, aircraft from here will be joining others from around the world... and you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind."

Melissa frowned and looked around, wondering none of the players thought this was odd. By this point, Violeta was biting on her lip to keep from laughing out loud, finding it even more funny with Melissa's reaction.

"Mankind... that word should have new meaning for all of us today." Melissa finally turned to Violeta and asked her what the hell he was talking about.

"He does this every year." Violeta explained.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"We're fighting for a right to live!" Coach said, surprising Melissa when the players cheered at that.

"Wait..." She asked, finally getting it. "Is this—"

"—the speech from Independence Day?" Violeta finished for her. "Uh, huh."

"It's Coach's favourite movie." Both Violeta and Melissa looked at Stiles who came to stand by them. Violeta's laughter quickly disappeared when she locked eyes with the boy. She immediately quickly darted her eyes away and ignored the look Melissa gave her in her peripheral vision.

Stiles had seen her walk in with Melissa in tow. He had seen a few boys give her the up-down in the black, ripped jeans and cropped Adidas shirt with the black bomber jacket. He noted the neon-coloured high tops that stood contrasted to all the black she wore. Her hair was out, flowing down her back and tucked under a yellow beanie. He saw her smile and speak to Melissa, her smile growing at the woman's reaction to Coach's speech.

He thought over what Tomei had told him earlier today and wondered once again how any of it was true. How this gorgeous fine-looking wonderfully cute and hot and sexy and adorable and ethereally beautiful girl could ever want him... how the universe could even think to put them together.

Yet here he was.

And there she was.

Tomei had been right. It wasn't that he was no longer drowning. His mind did't feel like it was exploding or that he couldn't breath without her, it was simply that now he felt he could be.

Scott caught his attention and smiled bright at him, winking when he saw his friend staring at her. Stiles grinned back, not remembering the last time Scott and him had had such an easy exchange. He turned back to Violeta and saw one of his team-mates bump his friend and jerk his head over to where she stood. He immediately stood up and went over to her, catching her and Melissa's conversation regarding Coach's speech. He jumped in, making his presence known when Violeta spoke about Independence Day.

"Hey." Stiles said, looking down at her the same moment Coach said, "We will not go quietly into the night!"

"Hi." She said in a curt voice, not even looking at him. But this didn't make him upset. It make him want to sigh and give up and think that this would never work because he had ruined it before he even had a shot. He had spent the entire day with Tomei, planning and setting everything up. He wasn't stressed or upset. He only could smile down at her, waiting to see it all unfold.

"What?" She asked, feeling him continue to stare at her and smile.

"You look beautiful."

Violeta's eyes grew and she turned to look at him, her mouth dropping open at the blatant comment. His smile grew, if that were possible, seeing her flabbergasted reaction to his compliment. Melissa McCall asked them if the Coach knew any sports-related speeches.

"I don't really think he cares." Stiles answered, never one taking his eyes off Violeta. Coach yelled out "Today we celebrate our independence day!" and the cheers erupted. Violeta forced herself to tear her eyes away from Stiles doe brown ones and let out a small breath, trying to regain some nerve that had apparently run off as Stiles arrived onto the scene.

"Alright! Let's go! Go! Go!" The Coach yelled and all the boys began cheering and yelling and bumping into each other in excitement. They then moved the bumping and yelling as they ran out the locker room out onto the field. Violeta looked at Stiles who was still smiling at her.

"Aren't you going to go?"

"Yeah, I just gotta do something first."

Violeta raised an eyebrow, wondering what he meant when he leant down and immediately pressed his lips to hers. There were a few cat-calls and hollers as Stiles pressed his hands to her lower back and dipped her slightly. Violeta was too shocked to do anything and Stiles pulled back before she had even made sense of what was happening, that he was kissing her.

"You were wrong!" Stiles yelled as he ran backwards out onto the field. Violeta watched him go, laughing once as he stumbled on his feet from running backwards and then righted himself and gave her the thumbs up and continued making his way back.

She was wrong? She was wrong about what? He had kissed her and said she was wrong. About... no, that, he—

"Rodriguez! Thank God you're here! We need you!" Violeta snapped out of her daze when she saw Melissa standing with Scott and the Coach. When she saw the clear panic on Scott's eyes, she heaved a sigh and forced herself to not dwell on what Stiles had meant.

Walking over, the Coach began in a defeated voice, "It's been decided that McCall can't play due to his academic failures." Violeta met Scott's eyes and they both knew who had decided: Gerard. Coach glanced at Violeta and wondered what this meant. "It's the championships and I—we really need someone to replace Scott."

"But he's the captain!" Melissa said.

"Co-captain." Coach said. "Jackson's still playing." At this revelation, Violeta and Scott shared a glance and Violeta sighed and knew she was probably going to regret this decision.

"Pass me a uniform."

"That's what I'm talking about!" Coach cheered, shaking his fists in the air. "And you'll happy to know were going up against the Beavers!"

Violeta stared at the Coach, unable to believe he had kept that fact from her.