A/N: I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this story but I'ma just roll with it & I hope you will too!
Trapped in a basement with a berserker and a 16 year old boy, Lydia discovers, is a great time to re-evaluate your life. She learns just how much her life and her goals have changed.
It surprises her how little good grades and perfect hair have come to mean to her. It also surprises her how much she depends on the love and friendship of those around her. It is in that basement that she decides she will be Lydia again; Strong, fearless Lydia who is not afraid of anyone. It is not only for her benefit, she reasons, but for the benefit of those she loves as well.
She knows she will have days when all she wants to do is grieve and give up but right now in this basement she will be strong enough to pick up that baseball bat and fight her way to the people who need her.
It's Kira she sees first when it's all over and the kitsune collapses into her hug like she's just left a battlefield. It's been a long week Lydia says as she tries to find the words to soothe the girl in her arms. But as she discovered long ago, Kira doesn't mope for long and in the next moment her eyes shine with excitement as she invites Lydia to a girls night in that weekend.
'My parents are out of town,' she explains to Lydia.
Lydia accepts, feeling as if she needs to get to know the two girls in her life a little better; as she does she spares a thought for Allison whom she promises that she will always have the honour of being Lydia's very first best friend.
Scott and Stiles appear behind Kira who is quick to jump and squeal when Scott tickles her unexpectedly. Lydia shares a warm smile with Stiles but is hesitant to touch him; their contact has come easily in the past but now she feels wary of it, as if somehow it means more. They chat easily between the four of them for a few minutes.
A voice from behind them suddenly sing songs I know something you don't know, as Malia grabs Lydia and Kira by the arms and bounces up and down ever so slightly.
'What's got you so excited?' Scott raises an eyebrow, unused to seeing Malia so lively.
'Well, I've been doing some research-' she starts before Stiles interrupts her with a snort. 'Shush, you,' Malia says as she rolls her eyes with a smile.
'As I was saying, I've found a powder derivative of a certain kind of mild wolfsbane that looks like it can negate the effects of our supernatural alcohol inhibitor.'
Scott, Stiles, Lydia and Kira stand staring at Malia as if she's grown two heads.
'I didn't understand at first either, basically-'
'We know what it means,' Stiles says, looking to Lydia. 'We're just unsure that came out of your mouth.'
'Don't be cruel, Stiles.' Lydia says, 'where did you find out about this?'
'I don't know what it means,' Scott says, and Kira breathes a sigh of relief, glad she isn't the one who has to admit it.
'It sounds like it takes away your immunity to alcohol,' Lydia says, and turning to Scott adds, 'but it could be really dangerous.'
'Exactly what I was thinking, where did you get your information, Malia?' Stiles asks.
'Well, I've been really into computers lately so I thought I'd try to get in somewhere I shouldn't be. Anyway somehow I stumbled on an old college chat website for supernatural creatures. It was password locked but apparently I've got quite a knack for that kind of thing. It had all the science and stuff, maybe you guys could check it out first?' She looks at Lydia then Stiles and back again.
'Wow,' Scott says, a twinkle in his eye, 'well I for one haven't been drunk in over 4 years.'
'Fine,' Stiles throws his hands up in the air and looks at them all, 'we'll check this out at lunchtime and see what's what.'
'I could kiss you Malia,' Scott says enthusiastically.
'Please don't,' she deadpans back at him.
'What do you think,' Stiles turns to Lydia.
'Everything…' she squints at the screen a little, 'it actually all looks okay. I think we should check with Deaton though just to be on the safe side.'
Stiles lets out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, 'good idea,' he says.
They arrive to the animal clinic a little after four having printed out the pages of comments and scientific notations. Deaton welcomes them in with a warm smile, it's the first time he's seen them since Mexico.
'What can I help you with?'
They take turns in explaining the situation.
'We're not asking you to condone it,' Lydia says.
'Yeah, no.' Stiles says, 'we just want to know if it's dangerous.'
Alan chuckles, 'well since you're all very much underage I definitely can't condone it but yes, I've heard of this before, and yes it's safe.'
'Thank you.'
'They may need looking after though, please don't let them go well… wild,' Deaton says with a smile.
'We won't,' Stiles says.
'I've said it before… but – you two make a strong team. You do well together.' Deaton says as both Stiles and Lydia try not to look at each other.
'You know it's still a girls only party right Scott?' Kira says with a sympathetic look at her boyfriend's puppy dog eyes.
'I know I know,' Scott huffs, 'but it's gonna be no fun trying to get drunk with Stiles refusing to drink.'
'Oh yeah, been there buddy,' Stiles says.
'Oh, dude I remember that, you wouldn't shut up about-' Scott stops as he remembers the very girl they're talking about is present and correct.
'About?' Kira says inquisitively.
'No one, nothing,' Scott says quickly.
The following Friday is filled with Kira worrying she isn't prepared, Scott trying to wheedle an invite to the girls-only party and Malia trying to concentrate on double algebra – which she decides is hopeless on a Friday afternoon and gives up.
'So you'll go home, get your stuff to sleepover and come around to mine for about 7.30, we'll order in and watch a couple of films, sound good?' Kira nervously addresses the two girls.
'And get drunk!' Malia shouts.
'Yes that too,' Kira says with a giggle.
Lydia pulls up outside Kira's house at 7:23 and grabs her bag from the back seat. As she shuts the car door a sudden feeling of trepidation comes over her. Frowning, Lydia pushes the feeling away wondering exactly why she would be nervous about spending time with her… friends. Although what does she really know about the two girls sitting inside the house she thinks, trudging up the drive, what do they know about her?
She hopes they like her.
Scott was halfway through his third drink by 8:30 but thankfully he seemed to be slowing down. So far he had cried about Allison, had a rant about the endless parade of enemies knocking on his door and detailed every single failed attempt at going all the way with Kira.
Stiles was exhausted.
'…and then he asked the caretaker to give him an explanation of how the mop worked.'
The girls laugh and Lydia has to wipe a tear from her eye.
'What did the caretaker say?' asks Malia.
'He asked if he had a screw loose and told him to get lost,' Kira says and the three of them fall about laughing again.
'Well we've heard Lydia's many stories on the topic,' Kira nudges the strawberry blonde sitting next to her with an affectionate shoulder, 'what about you Malia, you and Stiles?'
'Well I was the wild one in that relationship…'
The peals of laughter bust out into the night once more.
Scott folds his arms, 'well they sound like they're having fun,' he says grumpily.
They sit in Stiles' jeep at the corner of Kira's street; Stiles had only caved to driving when Scott threatened to walk there by himself.
Although Stiles felt a little stalker-esque he couldn't quite keep his natural curiosity at bay.
'What are they saying?' he's also more than a little concerned they might be talking about him. After all, he and Malia had broken up, and that's what girls did, right?
'I can't make it out,' Scott squints and Stiles wonders if he thinks squinting will actually help him hear better or it's just a side effect of being rather drunk.
'All I can hear is laughter,' he continues.
Well that's not good, Stiles thinks, that's not good at all.
'That's it, I'm going in,' and before Stiles can stop him, Scott falls out of the car.
'Yeah it was my decision,' Malia relates.
Kira and Lydia stare at her a little wide-eyed.
'And you've kept this secret for how long?' Lydia asks.
'Oh, it'll be going on three months now.'
'And you climbed into his window and just broke up with him?'
'Yep, and it's great because we're both totally fine with each other,' Malia grins her wolfish grin.
'I can't believe you've only just told us!' Kira half screams. 'Does Scott know? I swear when I get my hands on that boy I'm gon- what was that?'
Lydia, being the least drunk of the three, recognises that the door is being opened – or rather fallen through – and goes into the corridor.
'Sorry,' Stiles says, 'I did try to stop him but…' they watch as Scott pulls himself up via the shoe rack and fist pumps the air.
'…but he's an alpha,' Lydia finishes, trying and failing to supress the urge to laugh.
'Well this was the best idea Malia has ever had,' says Stiles looking around at them all.
Lydia is the only other one still conscious. Malia, Scott and Kira are snuggled up in the corner with multiple blankets and pillows. Scott is snoring softly.
Deciding to put a film on Lydia nestles in to Stiles' side and he slips an arm around her. It's the first time they've been close in weeks and Lydia had almost forgotten how calming it was.
Thirty minutes into the film they hear a loud shout outside followed by yet another person bursting through the door.
Suddenly Derek is in the doorway gasping for breath and bleeding heavily.
All he manages is 'Where…is…Scott?' before passing out on Kira's living room carpet.