HEELLLLOOOO and Happy Holidays my beautiful darlings. Sorry for the once again late update, but I do hope you enjoy the chapter (there's some interesting stuff in here if I do say so myself). We will also be seeing an old face, one of my favorites, so I hope you like that little Christmas present.
()
Jordan hadn't left the hospital.
The irony of the situation wasn't lost on him; he had once scolded Lydia for not leaving the station to get sleep. He supposed their stubborn nature was one thing they had in common, even if he was staying for a different reason. The thought of leaving her side, after losing her once already, wasn't something he could even consider. It was unprofessional, and unneeded as she had deputies stationed in the hallway around the clock. He didn't care.
It had become painfully clear in the days of her disappearance that Lydia Martin mattered to him far, far more than a seventeen year old girl should. It was tearing him up, and he knew he needed to figure things out before he did something stupid. Or before he hurt Lydia.
"Are you my guard tonight?" His green eyes flickered to her face, he hadn't realized she was awake. Seeing her conscious and aware pinched his heart, and an unusual amount of emotion flickered across his face. It was obvious to see Lydia hadn't missed it, as he sat up straighter and gave him a curious look. "You okay Deputy?"
Biting the inside of his lip, he pushed off from the doorway, crossing the space between them in a few slow strides. Then he did something he knew he'd regret later, and situated himself next to her on the hospital bed. She didn't protest, even as he gently looped an arm around her shoulders and tucked her against his side. "No, Lydia, I'm not okay. I was starting to think we might have lost you. I've lost.. A lot of people." Taking a deep breath, he tried to relax, absent mindedly running his fingers through her hair. "You're my friend, Lydia. Maybe my only friend. I want you to know that."
She relaxed against him. "I do know. But you're wrong. Scott, Stiles, Kira. Even Malia. They care about you. And they'll always be there for you, if you need them. If you let them."
He felt the conversation drifting towards him, and sought to change the subject. "Do you remember what we were talking about before Malia saved us from the ghost ambulance?"
"It was actually a spelled ambulance, apparently, but yeah." When he didn't answer, she took that as a cue to continue. "Sometimes I feel like I'm forgetting her voice. So then I just remember her laugh, because there's no way I'll ever forget that." Jordan hummed, something she had begun to realize he did when words weren't necessary. The feel of his fingertips against her scalp as he ran his hands through her hair was slowly putting her to sleep, but she had a feeling that would make the situation very real and very awkward. He seemed to sense her drowsiness, however, and commented on her confession.
"You always talk about her when something's wrong."
The weighted observation gave her pause. "Allison was my best friend. The only best friend I'd ever had. Sure, you could count Jackson. He was everything to me, but it wasn't healthy. Ally was.. My anchor. She is my anchor." She sighed, subconsciously leaning into his hand. "Thinking about her when stuff like this happens keeps me sane. Which doesn't make any sense, because thinking about her, what happened to her, should drive me nuts. But.."
"But knowing someone like her existed and cared about you gives you hope."
Lydia leaned away from him, turning to give the Deputy a curious look. "I'm not the only one who brings her up. You do when you're trying to distract me."
He couldn't help but smile down at her. "She's a healthy distraction." They stayed like that for a moment, eyes fixed on each other. And he knew it would be so, so easy to ruin everything.
()
Lydia almost flinched when Jordan cleared his throat, jerking her back to reality. Slowly, as the warm feeling in her chest faded, he slid off the hospital bed. She suddenly felt exposed, and imagined from the look on his face she wasn't the only one. They had tiptoed the line, for just a moment, the line they could never cross. The line she wasn't sure she wanted to, because when it came to Parrish she was never entirely sure what she was feeling.
"Stiles tells me you have your birthday in about a week."
Her eyes widened. Lydia Martin had forgotten her own eighteenth birthday. A birthday she had been planning since she was sixteen. A party that was already planned, scheduled, and paid for. A soft groan escaped her lips, and she fell back against her pillows. "That is one party I should be looking forward to but I am totally not."
"I'll see you there." His voice was soft, his tone causing her to look at him just in time to catch that brief flash of emotion she had seen earlier. She couldn't pinpoint what it was, and wasn't sure she wanted to. Before she could decide, however, he was gone.
()
A guilt ridden Derek had been standing just outside the hospital, staring through the double doors with his usual stoic expression. For the past five days he had wracked his brain for some explanation as to how someone had taken Lydia without a sound and without leaving a single trace behind. Tracking her had been impossible, like she had disappeared into thin air. After one night of searching with the rest of the pack he had broken off, running in every direction in search for some sign of her. On the third day he had called Braeden, hoping she might give some insight, but there hadn't been an answer. On the fourth day he had gone to Deaton, demanding answers.
Lydia was one of the two people who had the least ability to defend herself against the supernatural, and yet it seemed like she was always found in the middle of it. It was maddening, especially since it seemed like there was nothing to do but wait around for some sign of her. Which wasn't at all Derek's style. Needless to say the trip to the vet's office had only resulted in vague implications that Deaton did have an idea of what was going on but for his usual incomprehensible reasons he was going to keep it to himself. It seemed obvious that magic was involved, but the only magic Derek had ever heard of was Druid magic, and Deaton insisted this wasn't. Once again Derek wished his mother was still around.
"Are you going to go in? Or just stand out here brooding all night?"
Derek spun around, his stoic expression broken by shock at the familiar voice. He stood, wide eyed and unbelieving of the sight before him. "Cora?"
His little sister gave him a sly grin before stepping forward to embrace him. "Sorry it took me so long to get here. I got a call a couple of weeks ago, from some girl named Braeden?"
Derek enveloped her, breathing in her familiar familial scent. "She shouldn't have called you."
Cora pulled back, smacking him on the arm. "You died, asshole. You should have called me." Her disapproving gaze softened at his guilty expression, and her eyes shifted to the hospital doors. "Who's in there this time?"
"Lydia."
Cora quirked an eyebrow. She and Lydia hadn't exactly been the best of friends, but she had liked the girl's spirit. "She okay?"
"Minor injuries. The worst seems to be her memory loss, which the doctor's can't find a medical explanation for and are claiming she's suppressing trauma."
"But?"
"I think it was caused by magic. It's the only explanation for everything that's happened." He gave her a quick recap of the past several days, her expression growing my disbelieving by the second.
"You couldn't find any trace of her? No scent?"
"None."
"Hm." Cora squinted at nothing in particular before starting off towards the doors at a rapid pace.
"Cora, what are you-"
"Well we won't find out anything standing out here."
"Lydia does know anything, just leave her alone."
"She does know something, she just can't remember. Sitting around and babying her won't help her remember."
"And how are you going to help?" They were through the doors now, earning an irritated glance from the nurse at the front desk as Cora strolled on by with Derek on her heels.
"I have a few tricks up my sleeve. I didn't just sit around in South America." She came to an abrupt halt, pivoting on her heels to face Derek. "Speaking of which, I'm going to need you to pick me up a few things." She dug in jacket pocket, pulling out a receipt. Glancing around, she strode over to the reception desk. With an obviously fake smile, she asked the nurse for a pen, who begrudgingly complied. Smoothing out the crumpled paper, she scribbled a few things down before thrusting it at her brother. "There's a small shop a few blocks from Deaton's. You'll probably miss it the first time. Just give the list to the nice lady at the counter, and she'll give you what I need." Before he could protest, Cora was off again, leaving her brother to grumble as he left to do her bidding.
Cora road the elevator to the pediatric floor, wandering the halls until she caught Lydia's scent. She avoided looking into any of the rooms until she found the one with 'Lydia L. Martin' on the placard outside. About to enter, Cora stopped short as another scent caught her attention. It was one she couldn't identify, but it caused her metaphorical hackles to rise. Leaning against the wall just outside, she listened in on the conversation taking place inside.
"... my best friend. The only best friend I'd ever had. Sure, you could count Jackson. He was everything to me, but it wasn't healthy. Ally was.. My anchor. She is my anchor... Thinking about her when stuff like this happens keeps me sane. Which doesn't make any sense, because thinking about her, what happened to her, should drive me nuts. But.."
"But knowing someone like her existed and cared about you gives you hope." Cora narrowed her eyes at the unfamiliar male voice.
"I'm not the only one who brings her up. You do when you're trying to distract me."
"She's a healthy distraction."
Cora rolled her eyes, practically able to smell the sexual tension, and tuned out of the rest of the conversation. A minute later she ducked around the corner, avoiding the footsteps that were emerging from Lydia's room. She watched the young man with careful speculation as he walked down the hall, his scent as he passed her giving her a chill. The feeling was one she could only describe as death. At least he was hot.
Once what's his face was out of sight, Cora slipped into the room. She was greeted by a bedridden Lydia, wearing an expression similar to Derek's. It was one Cora was starting to thoroughly enjoy.
"Cora? What are you-? Why are you here?"
"Well it's nice to see you too Lydia." The she-wolf settled on the end of the bed. "The girlfriend Derek neglected to tell me about informed me about the death he also neglected to tell me about, so I decided it was time for a little visit. And it seems like I was just in time." Cora wouldn't say they were friends, but she wasn't pleased about how often Lydia got herself into tight situations. Besides, she was Derek's pack. And Derek's pack was her pack.
"Sorry, I just.. Last I knew you were in South America. Does Derek know you're back?"
"Yeah, I met him in the lobby." The unimportant fib rolled off reflexively. She was sure they were aware of Derek's lurking habit, but decided it was her sisterly duty to make him seem as normal as possible. "He's picking up a few things we'll need, but he'll be back in a bit."
"Things we'll need for..?"
"We are going to unlock your memories."
Lydia looked doubtful. Her skepticism, despite everything she had seen and become, was another thing Cora liked about her. "Are you some sort of South American witch doctor now?"
The dark haired girl actually cracked a smile at that. "Something along those lines." She pulled her legs up, tucking her feet beneath her. "What's the last thing you remember?"
"Leaving for the hospital with Derek and Kira. I fell asleep right away, but I remember waking up just before the crash, I think. There.. There was someone standing in the road, and Kira swerved, hitting the guard rail.."
"Good. Good. They missed a memory then, that's good."
"They?"
"The women who took you, and erased your memories. That one memory you have, of whoever it was standing in the road, that's our key hole. Our way into the little locked up part of your memory."
Lydia huffed, obviously unconvinced. "Are you a hypnotist?"
"No." Another irritated noise from the redhead. "Listen, Lydia, I know you have this thing where you need to know everything, like Stiles, but you're just going to have to trust me on this. I can help you remember."
"Why do you care?"
Cora bit her lip. She knew it was hard for anyone, even bitten wolves, to understand true pack mentality. "Because Derek cares. Because whoever took you could be a danger to everyone, and is obviously a danger to you. Why does it matter why I care? I'm here to help. You need my help."
Lydia stared her down, and it was easy to see the gears whirring behind those big brown eyes. "Fine."
They sat in awkward silence for a good few minutes, both now avoiding each other's gaze. Cora had never really connected well with other people, much less other girls, and with Lydia it was no different. The young wolf even had trouble reconnecting with her brother, even though he was the last living member of her family (creepy Uncle Peter never really counted). However, that didn't mean that Cora didn't like people, or Lydia in particular. It was just that her normal didn't seem to sync with everyone elses. "So.. Who's the hunk?"
Lydia narrowed her eyes. "Do you mean Deputy Parrish?"
"No idea, whoever was with you before I came in. I saw him leaving."
"Yeah, Deputy Parrish. He's the one who found me."
"Uh-huh."
"What?"
"You two seemed pretty friendly."
"You were listening?"
Cora chuckled. "Not for long, but long enough."
Lydia looked as though she was about to protest to whatever it was Cora was implying, when two figures, one ganglier than the other, practically fell into the room. Scott, ever the golden retriever, was immediately at her side, scanning her for injuries. Stiles on the other hand, held back. Two sets of brown eyes met, his conveying relief at her safety, Lydia's silently reassuring him she really was okay. Finally he stepped forward. "Don't you ever do that ever again."
"Sorry, next time I'll try a little harder not to get kidnapped by two lunatic sister witches." They all snapped to attention, Lydia included. "Did I just.. Say witches?"
"Yes, you did." Cora squinted at her, as if reading a difficult passage in a chemistry textbook. "Do you remember anything?"
"I.. No."
"Clever." The boys looked at Cora, realization suddenly hitting them.
"When did you get here?"
"Observant Stiles. And before you." They continued staring at her, waiting for further explanation to her comment. "My guess is these.. Sister witches, who apparently kidnapped Lydia, were caught off guard. They didn't have time to properly wipe her memory. So the only time she can remember them, is when she isn't trying to."
"But I'm always trying to. I lost five days."
"Exactly. The good news is, it'll be easier to get around." As if on cue, Derek entered the room, carrying a brown paper bag. "Took you long enough."
He rolled his eyes, handing her the bag. "Everything you need?"
Cora rifled through it, nodding. "All I need is a lighter, and.." She glanced up, scanning the ceiling. "One of you to carefully dismantle that fire alarm." Stiles pulled a lighter from one of his many hidden hoodie pockets, holding it out. When Lydia gave him a quizzical look, he just shrugged. Scott, grabbing a chair, carefully took the batteries out of the small smoke alarm near the center of the room. "Okay, now I need everyone to sit down and stay quiet. You weren't entirely wrong, Lydia, this is a little like hypnosis. Just.. With a little assistance." Cora stood as the boys sat, sliding the hospital table over to the bed and dumping the bags contents on it. She placed a candle, which was a weird shade of orange, in the center of the table, and a bundle of sage off to the right. There were three little baggies of herbs, which she left alone until she found a small plastic bowl. She went into the bathroom, turning on the water before returning. "I'll need to let the water get hot. Now, Lydia, I'm going to need you to try and let this work. It'll work whether you're open to it or not, but it will be a lot easier if you are." With Stiles' lighter, she lit the candle and brought the sage to a steady smoke, which she then handed to her brother. "Spread it around the room." At Lydia's questioning gaze, she explained; "The sage is sort of.. Like a shield. It prevents other magic from interfering."
It was Derek's turn to look puzzled. "You practice magic?"
"Very, very basic Druid magic. They draw their power from natural elements, like mountain ash and sage. Anyone can harness a certain amount." Lydia felt a nauseating sense of deja vu, but elected not to mention it. Cora went back to the bathroom, emerging with a bowl full of steaming hot water. She added a pinch of two of the herbs, and proceeded to stir it with her finger. Lydia imagined it had to be painfully hot, but it didn't seem to bother Cora in the slightest. When she presented the bowl to Lydia, the redhead saw that the herbs had disappeared entirely, and the water was now a dark green. "You don't have to drink all of it, a few sips should be fine."
As Lydia complied, Cora opened up the third bag. She took one small leaf out, and proceeded to crush it between her thumb and index finger until a fine powder covered them both. When Lydia put the bowl down, Cora leaned forward, smearing the powder across Lydia's forehead. She was anything but pleased. "Was that really necessary?"
The wolf ignored her, instead smearing another line down her nose. "Okay, now, deep breaths. Relax your mind."
"Have you ever done this before?"
"Lydia."
Sighing, she started standard yoga breaths, closing her eyes and resisting the urge to let out a satirical hum. She felt Cora's thumb press against the center of her forehead, followed shortly by the sound of her voice. "Retire la barrera." At first there was nothing, the same empty space. Except now the wall blocking her memory felt like a real, physical thing, and if she pressed against it just enough..
A gasp escaped her lips, causing a startled jolt throughout the room. Her eyes flew open as the memories came flooding back, everything from the accident until Parrish found her. The cabin, the sisters, the story of the four original supernatural beings. It was almost too much at once, and her eyes began to water. But Lydia, being Lydia, managed to gather her wits rather quickly. "I remember."
()
After Lydia had told them everything she could remember, Stiles called the Sheriff, who arrived shortly with a sketch artist. Lydia was disappointed when Parrish wasn't with them, but didn't inquire as to why. You can survive without your guardian angel, Lydia. So she did. She pushed the Deputy from her mind, and did her best to describe Minerva and Shai to the sketch artist. Just as they were finishing up, everyone's attention was drawn to a commotion coming from the hallway.
"Miss Martin already has too many visitors, I'm afraid you can't go in."
"Malia, maybe we should just wa-"
"We've already waited all day! I'm going in."
"Malia, don't-"
The were-coyote appeared in the room, followed swiftly by a disgruntled nurse and a bashful Kira. "Young lady, I told you- Sheriff?"
Sheriff Stilinski grimaced, taking his time to give each of the teens a frustrated look. "It's okay, Marcia."
"But Sheriff, she's only supposed to have two visitors at a time, with the exception of family, and they-" The woman glared at all of them, and everyone but Cora hung their head. "Are not her immediate family."
The Sheriff looked like he was about to pull the law enforcement card, when Cora stood. "It's okay. Derek and I can go." She sauntered from the room, not bothering to see if Derek followed. Which he did, giving Lydia a small nod. This still left four, not including the Sheriff and sketch artist, but it seemed to appease the nurse as she let out a huff before leaving them.
The sketch artist, an officer named Danielle, turned back to Lydia after observing the scene with cool amusement. "So these look pretty accurate? Any changes?"
Lydia stared for a moment, then shook her head. "No, that looks pretty good." Finally letting a yawn she had been holding back break over her, she stretched her arms over her head.
Her apparent exhaustion seemed to worry Stiles. "Maybe we should go.."
Malia wasn't having any of that. "What? No! Kira and I just got here." Stiles couldn't help but smile at Malia's apparent concern for Lydia, but was still going to argue with her when the Sheriff held up his hand.
"You girls can stay. You two, go home."
Stiles nodded, while Malia looked entirely too smug. The former shuffled over to Lydia, leaning down to give her a tight hug. "Remember. No more getting kidnapped."
"No promises."
Stiles pulled back, glaring, but Lydia just grinned. Scott followed suit, giving her a softer hug, and the boys unwillingly departed. "So their names were Minerva and Shai, correct? Any guess on ages?"
"Maybe late twenties, early thirties. Shai definitely looked to be the younger. I don't think they were from around here, the cabin definitely looked like a temporary residence. No pictures, no decor. The furniture fit though."
"Yeah, the cabin was a rental. They gave different names and paid in cash, but the owner said they fit the description you gave. Now that you remember, I'd like you to come down to the station and.. Give an official statement." The Sheriff's face said he knew that some things would have to be left out, like whatever hudu they told her. "Alright, well we'll leave you to rest Lydia." He turned to Malia and Kira. "Don't stay too long."
As soon as he was gone the two girls sat on the end of the bed, Malia actually laying down with her head on Lydia's knees and her legs draping off the end. At first the three shared a comfortable silence, until Kira asked the only thing she needed to know; "Are you okay?"
Lydia didn't have an immediate answer. In one respect, she was. They didn't really hurt her, or torment her. Being leashed to the bed had been more annoying than anything else. But at the same time, she wasn't. She was sick of always being targeted because of what she was. Supernatural, but without any of the perks like super strength to defend herself with. So no, in that sense she wasn't okay. "Mostly. I'm just.. Kind of sick of being kidnapped."
"It is getting pretty annoying." Kira swatted at Malia's arm, but Lydia wasn't offended. "I mean, uh.. I just meant that I wish it would stop happening, too."
"You're fine. I get it. It's getting old." She smiled, but the smile was small and tired. Kira could tell Lydia was exhausted, and while she wanted to stay with her friend she knew it would be better if they took their leave.
"Come on, Malia."
"What?"
"We're leaving."
"We just got here."
"Lydia needs to sleep."
"Fine." Malia launched off the bed, but before storming off she paused, leaning down to give Lydia and awkward hug. "Kira and I will get your school work for you."
Kira nodded confirmation, and made arrangements to drop it off at the red head's house after school the next day. Which was, much to Lydia's distress, a Monday, and it would mean missing another day of school. Not that she was overly anxious to return at the moment, what with how utterly exhausted she was. However, she still had a GPA to maintain. After the girl's left Lydia struggled to stay awake, as she knew her parents would be returning soon and that they'd probably want to talk to her. But after all of the druid hudu with Cora she was even more exhausted, and soon found herself drifting into a deep sleep against limp hospital pillows.
()
When Lydia finally returned to school the following Tuesday, she was met with whispers and disdainful looks. After her first disappearance, the masses had given her pity. Poor, popular Lydia'd had a psychotic break and went running through the woods for a few days. Did you hear her parents fight a lot? Oh that must have been why. Poor thing. This time, however, it was much different. She's just doing it for attention now. Oh, it must be so hard being so pretty and having everything handed to you. Poor Lydia.
They had no idea.
But Lydia was better than them. She knew it, and they would come to know it too as she walked through the hallways with her head held high, not sparing any of their gossipy selves a single glance. She didn't feel the need to explain. To plead with them that she had been kidnapped, that the last thing she wanted was attention, because they didn't matter. The only ones who mattered were waiting in Math class, where she slid into the empty seat next to Malia. Stiles immediately switched to the seat behind her, leaning up to whisper in her ear.
"How are you doing?"
"I'm fine, Stiles." The irritation in her voice seemed to sooth him, oddly enough, and he leaned back in his seat. Glancing back, she received warm looks from both Scott and Kira, and returned them with small smiles. The rest of the day carried on in a similar fashion. Lydia was escorted from class to class, the group treading on eggshells around her except for Stiles, who asked if she was okay just about every chance he got. By the time last period rolled around, she was more than ready for it, staring at the clock while robotically taking notes.
"Lydia?"
Her eyes flickered to Kira. "Hm?"
"Do you have a ride home?" Irritated, as Kira had managed to not be annoying until now, Lydia ignored her. "Lydia."
"Is there something you'd like to share with the class, Miss Yukimira?" Miss Heather, the eleventh grade English teacher, walked out in front of her desk.
"No, Miss Heather. Sorry." The woman was strict, but not mean, so she merely gave the girls a nod and continued on with the class. Thankfully it seemed to be enough to deter Kira from pressing further. Not, however, from scurrying after her when the bell rang and they were dismissed. "Lydia, come on, let me drive you home."
"What makes you think I didn't drive myself to school?"
"Scott saw you come in with your mom."
"How do you know I'm not leaving with her?"
"Because you can't, unless you're going to wait until she's done with her after school tutoring group."
Lydia shut her locker pointedly, but didn't quite slam it. "Well maybe I am." However, as she stalked away, she headed in the direction of the school's main entrance and not her mothers classroom.
"Lydia."
Suddenly, an unwelcome surprise in the form of Malia appeared, blocking Lydia's path. The redhead stopped, and crossed her arms. "Need something, Malia?"
"Someone is taking you home if I have to use some of the bungee cords in coach's office to strap you to Scott's motorcycle."
"I thought the point of this was to avoid me getting kidnapped. Again." Malia rolled her eyes, grabbing the red head by the wrist and dragging her towards the parking lot. "I was already going this way."
Lydia ended up riding home with Kira, opting out of Malias bungee cord and motorcycle plan. However, she drew the line at being walked to her front door. Mostly because of the fact that when they got there her dads car was still in the driveway, whereas Lydia had been expecting him to be on his way back to whatever business trip he had been on. Upon entering the house, Lydia moved cautiously, as if expecting something to jump out at her. "Dad?"
"In here, sweetie." Lydia followed his voice to his office, a room that ironically was seldom used. She leaned casually against the doorway, trying to hide how put off she was by his lasting presence.
"I didn't think you'd be home."
"Oh, yeah, I ran some errands earlier but I told your mother Id be home before you got off from school."
"Ah."
"Ah? Care to elaborate?"
"Nothing. It just figures you'd only be here because you promised mom."
"Now, that's not what I meant."
"Really? So if mom hadn't made you promise..?"
"She didn't make me promise, Lydia. I meant that I told her I'd be home when you got home so that way she didn't have to cancel her tutoring group. I'd still be here, in town, either way."
"Why?"
"You were kidnapped, Lydia. I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen again."
"Yeah, well, don't get your hopes up." On that note she stalked away, not wanting to hear anymore about how her dad suddenly gave a crap.
()
Ah yes, leave it to me to end on a happy note. You're welcome.
R&R if you could you precious angel babies, I want all of your feedback!
