Lydia couldn't believe her eyes which started to tear up again. She lowered her piercing stare to hide her wet cheeks.

"Come here," he simply said and reached out his hand towards her. Lydia didn't hesitate and took his hand which pulled her into a tight hug.

He seemed a bit different, Lydia realized. Somewhat bigger and stronger than before. Full of life and energy. Not like the limp bloody body tied up to a tree in the tribe back in Brazil.

Lydia pulled away from the hug, her gaze turning to Credence who was silently watching them and then looked down at the dismantled body. It was him. The brother.

Stiles had to regain his power back, otherwise there was no way Credence could have pulled this off by himself. Lydia's eyes looked up at Stiles again who was now watching the entrance Lydia came from.

"We should hurry, I don't think we need to be here longer than needed," Credence stated. The witches had to be closing in, even though they were taking their time. They probably didn't know what to do. If the coven was right about Stiles, they had no chance against him.

Stiles looked back at the pieces of Michendros and then back at Lydia.

"I'll take you home after I finish this, alright? I don't think it would be smart staying here with them when you came rushing here like that," he said with an entertained smile.

"You think they would hurt me?" Lydia asked carefuly.

"They did imprison you once, didn't they? And taking it from how the old witch behaves towards Allison, I don't think you'd be anywhere near safety."

The moment he finished his sentence, dozen of magicians and witches rushed in, surrounding the three of them. Allison and Thomas were standing next to their older relative, staring at Stiles in fearful shock.

Stiles grabbed Lydia's hand and pulled her closer to him and looked at Credence.

"Could you?" he asked and pointed to Lydia with his head. Credence walked over to her without hesitation.

"What?" Lydia asked, wondering what Stiles meant but her focus changed from them immediately once the coven members attacked them. They all seemed to shoot some sort of energies from their palms and fingerenfs into the direction of Stiles, however some invisible barrier which surrounded Lydia, Stiles, Credence and Michendros' body effortlessly protected them from the offensive magic. Lydia watched the magicians trying to penetrate the invisible wall between them. Her eyes landed on Allison whose eyes were locked on whatever was happening behind the redhead. Lydia turned around to see something she never could have imagined. Michendros' parts of his separated body were reconnecting themselves, slowly growing together to be one piece yet again. Lydia looked up from one brother to the other only to get frozen in place by the sight of Stiles' eyes which resembeled the color of fresh blood. She suddenly felt a touch on her shoulder. It was Credence. She met his gaze which was surprisingly soft and comforting.

"Don't worry, everything's going to be just fine now," he said.

Lydia looked around the hostile circumstances they were in and then looked back at Credence.

"Are you sure?"

"That's the thing with these two. They never lose. Everything you put in front of them, they either use it for their benefit, leave it of lack of interest or demolish it. Almost everyone understands that it's futile to pick a fight with them. However, there's always someone who does."

"But... the- Allison said... that they are monsters."

"Well, I suppose they might be. Depends on the point of view. Stolos saved my life, so he's no monster to me. I must admit that I was bloody scared of him at the beginning. I was only a child, though."

"How did he save you?"

"Hah, that's a story for another day, Lyds."

Lydia was genuienly surprised how friendly Credence became. How different he was acting towards me.

"Why are you so nice to me now?"

"Well, seems like he likes you a bunch. And you don't seem to be shaken off that easily as well."

"That's what he was doing, wasn't he?" Lydia asked, remembering Stiles' cold attitude from before.

"Yes, that's what he was doing."

Credence stopped for a bit, his eyes following Stiles who was just walking to Michendros' again-whole body and placing his hand on Mich's forehead.

"But I believe," Credence continued, "that he's real glad that you didn't scare away so easily."

"He's gonna get some of my mind on that later," Lydia said and locked her arms one in another, pretending to be a bit angry with him. However, their situation was so specific and rare that she knew that there isn't a simple way to deal these things.

Lydia turned around, realizing that she had almost forgotten the attack atempts from the magicians who were visibly getting weary of doing so. She also noticed that Allison's aunt was saying something angrily towards Thomas and Allison and it didn't look good at all.

Meanwhile, Michendros had opened his eyes, meeting Stiles' red orbes and he smiled.

"Good to be back, eh?" Stiles said in their native tounge.

"Give me a hug, little brother."

They embraced each other firmly, being glad that their lives had once again found a way to be together.

Michendros pulled away from the hug and almost jumped to his feet with a new source of energy.

"That's quite a party we've got here," he commented on the situation and looked at Lydia.

"Aw, the redhead is still with us, good job, Stolos. I was afraid you'll be playing your arrogant card with her in the end."

Lydia pouted her lips and looked strictly at Stiles who smiled shyly: "I might have done that, yeah."

Michendros punched his brother softly into his shoulder and approached Lydia, grasping her hands into his. "If so, I deeply apologize for my little brother, he usually gets carried away by emotions."

Lydia stared into Mich's dark, yet warm eyes and nodded. "If you say so – but he's not that simply off the hook."

Lydia realized how familiarly and even courageously she talked with them, all previous fear and doubts were somewhat gone. Michendros laughed at that and agreed with her.

"Oh, is that man who is being heavily criticized by that woman the one who dismanteled my body like that?" he asked with curiosity.

"Yeah, that's him. And the brunette next to him is his cousin and the best friend of Lydia, Allison," Credence informed the older brother.

"Well, let's get them here, I really want to meet that magician," Michendros said with a smile. Lydia worriedly looked at Thomas. Is Michendros going to hurt him? What about Allison? Lydia's eyes searched for Stiles' face – she needed reassurance. Stiles immediately noticed her worried expression and stepped closer to her.

Meanwhile, Michendros was already focusing on the two cousins to teleport them into their safe space.

Allison and Thomas who did not expect anything like that ended up falling on the hard ground inside of their barriers.

"You can teleport?" Lydia asked in awe.

"Just within some reasonable distance...," Stiles explained. Thomas and Allison collected themselves, standing up and watched the three figures in horror. The aunt now noticing her niece's and son's relocation closed in to the barrier and hollared at them something which was inaudible inside of the barriers.

Michendros at once approached Thomas who took a few steps back, feeling his own sweat dripping down his forehead.

"So, you are the man," Mich said excitatedly. Even Lydia and Allison were a bit confused by Michendros' attitude. Thomas gulped before he spoke: "Uhm, if I am the man?" he asked carefully.

"You know, you put me down and cut me to pieces," Mich continued with a smile but this sentence made everyone else quite tense about this situation.

"Maybe we should talk somewhere else, huh? All that going on," he gestured to the magicians surrounding them, "is a bit distracting, isn't it?" He turned back to his brother and grabbed his hand. "How far can we get from here?" Mich asked.

"I guess we could reach Lyds' and my apartment."

"Perfect."

"Mich," Stiles said in a low voice, changing the language, "what are your plans with them?"