Part One

There was one week out of Stiles and Lydia's summer that was anything other than pleasant. It was early July and the pair just started getting into a routine. Lydia was pulling even more out of her shell and Stiles was letting her know more about him, since their understanding of one another had always been one-sided. Though, their good times couldn't last for long. Beacon Hills couldn't allow that.

"So you liked it?" Lydia rolled on to her back, head cocked toward her friend. His bed had just enough room for the pair, her plush blanket, a popcorn bowl and two pillows. She let her eyes follow the ceiling fan.

Stiles laid his head down on his pillow, still on his stomach, "Of course. You have excellent taste."

"Stop with the ass-kissing. I'm not going to get more popcorn."

"It was worth a shot," Stiles smiled, staring at her, "But I still liked it."

Lydia glanced at him, "Favorite monster?"

"The Silence. There's just something about them.." Stiles knit his eyebrows together trying to figure out why.

Lydia smirked, "I could have guessed that. I knew you would love Doctor Who."

Stiles lifted himself up on his elbows and looked her over curiously, "What's yours?"

She sunk deep and thought a moment, "The Cybermen."

"Why?" He was genuinely surprised. He thought he knew everything about her, especially now.

Lydia bit her bottom lip, "Just imagine if they were real.. Being forced into something, someone else with no emotions or personal will.. It's just something I'd hope never to experience again... Or that extensively."

"I get that," His gaze was gentle with care and understanding.

She smirked at the ceiling before closing her eyes, "I know."

It was a few minutes before either one of them talked or even moved.

"I'm going to the bathroom. You need anything?" Stiles crawled out of bed. She shook her head and hoped he saw.

A moment later she opened her eyes and looked around. She saw that the popcorn bowl was gone and his pillow was back at the head of the bed. Then she saw a pair of her own shorts and one of his deep blue t-shirts. Lydia couldn't think of when she left the shorts over here but she also wasn't complaining. She got up, put the pillow on the right side and changed quickly. She pulled her hair up into a messy bun.

Lydia sat her jeans and button-down on the night stand on her side of the bed and crawled in. Dimming the light next to her, she pulled the covers over her shoulders. Lydia had stayed over at his house before but this was the only time they had deliberately done it. They usually unknowing went to sleep in odd positions after long days of studying one another. She liked it and really hoped it could happen more often this way. His bed was comfortable.

She soon heard the door creak open and swiftly close right after. The floorboards were rather loud as Stiles walked to his hamper and threw his day clothes in it. He then turned to the left side of the bed and climbed in. He tossed a few times before whispering, "I can't get comfortable."

"Stop moving so much then."

"Lydia."

"What."

"Scoot over."

"Fine."

She was now on the edge of the bed, facing out. He moved to the middle and laid on his back, "Thank you."

"Whatever, Princess."

"Hey at least I'm not a blanket hog."

"You've got two more."

"So?"

"Go to sleep, Stillenski."

"Make me, Martin."

Lydia then promptly reached for the extra pillow they had thrown on the ground earlier and stuffed it in his face.

He flung it across the room while laughing.

This was their last subtle and sort of easygoing conversation for days and neither one of them were ready for what was next to be discovered. The next day they didn't expected to hear that Isaac Lahey had decided to come back for the rest of the summer. Everyone he knew was around Beacon and he just wanted some normality, even though he probably couldn't achieve it. So, he begged Chris Argent to pack everything back up and stay a few weeks.

"Wow. Has anyone talked to him?" Stiles asked Kira over the phone. He heard her sigh.

"How do you think we know this? They made it to their hotel this morning."

Stiles looked over at Lydia, she was patiently waiting for the information from him, "So what's he going to do?"

"I don't know, Stiles. Scott just asked me to tell you while he goes in to talk to them. See how they are and whatnot."

"Wait? He's over there now?" Stiles knit his eyebrows together and Lydia pushed off of her place on his bed.

Kira awkwardly scratched her head, even though he couldn't see her, "Yes and I'm sitting in my car outside. Waiting."

"Why didn't you go with him or something?" He turned toward Lydia, her eyes reflected his own worry.

Lydia whispered, "What's going on?"

"Isaac and Argent are back in town for a little while," Stiles whispered back before realizing that wouldn't be enough for her, "Scott's at their hotel room and Kira is waiting outside of the building."

Lydia nodded right when Kira responded, "Look I've got to go. My mom's calling me. He just wanted you to know."

"Okay. Thank you. And Kira?" Stiles spoke.

Kira sighed once again, "Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

She put on a sad smile, "Could be worse. I'll talk to you later. He'll probably call when he's done."

"Okay. Bye."

Lydia stood a foot in front of him searching his eyes, "Why is he there alone? Why are we just now learning about this?"

"I don't know, Lydia."

She looked at the ground, wanting to kick something, "I have to go over there."

Lydia turned him toward the door. She then went to her clothes and slipped on the jeans, keeping his shirt on. Her grey ankle boots matched perfectly.

He turned and stared at her, eyes wide, "Why?"

"Because that is my best friends dad and sort of lover. Okay? If- if Scott died, you'd want to make sure Melissa was alright. Well, Chris was always really nice to me and now that they're back he needs to know he's not alone. Okay?" Lydia was starting to shake but she didn't notice.

Stiles did, "Alright. I'll drive."

About a half hour later the blue Jeep was parked under a tree and across the street from the hotel. It wasn't the nicest or biggest of all the hotels, but it certainly uphold the title better than their motel during the cancelled lacrosse meet. This place did not seem to have any durach influence whatsoever. Lydia let out a sigh of relief while they made their way across. The lobby was definitely bigger and cleaner than the other place too. The elevator ride was too quiet.

"You knock," Lydia stopped outside the door and eyed Stiles.

He raised his eyebrows and pointed at himself, "Me?"

"Oh, just do it."

He did and within seconds Chris Argent was pulling the door open.

"Hi, we heard you were coming back for a bit and decided to come by," Lydia was awkwardly fiddling with her hands.

Chris smiled politely and moved out of their way, "Lydia, you look as pretty as usual."

"Thank you. I don't see any balding so I'm going to have to return the compliment," She turned back around once she was a few feet in, a beaming smile on her face.

Chris looked down on her kindly, "It's good to see you, kid."

"You too," Lydia pulled her lips in on each other, a nervous habit, and eyed the room around them.

The room was rather large but rectangular, the longest walls at their sides. To the immediate left was a small but open kitchen and to the right was a tiny coat closet. In front of them was a relatively homey living room set up, a sofa, table and two chairs facing a flat screen on the left wall. Past that was two queen beds with grey sheets, a long dresser lined the opposing wall. Another television sat on top of it, as did a mini fridge and telephone. Past the second bed was a medium-sized desk and chair with a bright orange laptop sat open on top of it. Across from that was an open door to a bathroom. Cozy.

Lydia pursed her lips, "Where's Isaac?"

Chris walked around the couch and pointed, "Out on the balcony with Scott. I have no idea what they're doing."

"Boys will be boys."

Chris chuckled, "I know what you mean."

"Hey, hello there. I'm still here," Stiles waved his hands around from his seat at the mini bar.

Chris sat in the chair closest to the balcony, "I see that. Hey, there's some soda in the fridge."

"Nah, I'm good."

Lydia sent Stiles a disapproving look before leaning her hands against the back of the opposite chair, "How was the trip?"

"Good. Took Isaac to see New York and then Miami."

Stiles nodded his head to some unknown beat, "Nice. How's the other side of the country doing?"

"Pretty well. I couldn't get him off of his surf board in Miami."

Lydia smiled at how fondly Chris spoke of the beta, "I never took him as a surfer. Did you surf?"

"I taught him, actually. I used to be pretty good when I was younger."

Stiles raised his eyebrows, "Nice. What'd you do in New York?"

"Found out he's not too good with heights," Chris laughed at the memory, eyes focus on some inanimate object.

She smiled softly at him, "That's just as shocking."

The balcony doors opened and then the standing curtains were drawn to the right as the two werewolves strutted into the room. Scott took the lead and quickly turned to his right, straight into the bathroom. Isaac then came into view and Lydia's eyes hadn't left the bathroom door yet. But the moment she saw him, his mere presents alerted the Banshee within. The room turned fuzzy. She got increasingly cold and there was some sort of dark aura around the young beta. Lydia couldn't see anything, so she tried blinking a few times before she lost her footing.

Lydia stumbled backwards until she was against the bar, a few feet away from Stiles.

"Lydia? Lydia what's wrong?" She heard someone say but it was far too soft. Something else was rising in the background.

The continuous noise of the refrigerator quickly turned into a million voices circling circling circling. Around they went in her head and she couldn't make out what they said. All she knew was that they were making her want to vomit. Without opening her eyes, she fumbled around to the sink. Her throat hurt. Had she screamed?

"Lydia..."

"...She's freezing!"

"Go get her a blanket, Isaac!"

"What's going on out here?"

"Scott, I think it's a Banshee thing!"

All of the men spoke but none of the words registered to her. They were just fleeting voices among a mass sound. Lydia held on to either side of the sink and tried to keep her heart rate down. Trying to open her eyes, she barely got a clear look at the faucet a few inches in front of her. She felt a hand on her right shoulder while another set was on her left arm. She had no idea who was who. What was what.

Who was dying?

Oh, right.

Lydia needed to focus more. And with all of her might, she deliberately let out a yell. The wailing woman sent everyone stumbling back and her head began to pound, in sync with her racing heartbeat. The hand from her right quickly found her again and the persons other hand fell on top of hers. Lydia just wished she could concentrate.

Wait a minute. Isaac.

She forced her eyes back open and spun around. It wasn't nearly as fuzzy as before and now Lydia could clearly see the fog surrounding the beta. She didn't like what she saw. It was as if complete and total darkness was starting to engulf Isaac into a heap of nothing. Looking into the fog, Lydia thought she saw hell and earth crashing together. It created ice and fire. Fire. Soon he would be erased from every form of existence and with that revelation, the voices began to chant as one.

"Hear the sounds.

Hear the dusts.

Feel your fears and lock them down.

Isaac. Isaac. He will.

He will fall. fall. fall."

Lydia felt arms on her left arm now as she leaned against the counter. Her eyes darted over there only to see Stiles' hazel ones staring at her. They were large and rather panicked but in that moment, Lydia let all the bad things floating around her head stop. Nothing could control Lydia Martin. She'd make sure of that. Everything soon was silenced and she could breathe steadily again.

The voices had gone. All that she could hear was the steady hum of the refrigerator and the ragged breathing of the men around her.

The fog remained.

"Lydia, what's going on?" Chris asked, he was the one on her right.

She turned to see if she actually threw up but was relieved to see that she didn't, "I-"

"Lydia?" She was now looking at the floor right in front of her, a hand just under her eye. She had cried.

Scott and Isaac peered worriedly from the other side of the bar.

"I just. I couldn't really hear."

Chris scrunched his face up in confusion while Stiles asked, "Hear what Lydia?"

"Everyth- one. Everyone."

Stiles squinted his eyes at her, "Us?"

"Yes. The whole time. After, after I-" She glanced at him for a moment before looking back at the floor, "Then I could hear them."

"What did they say?" Scott asked, hands flat on the counter.

Lydia looked him in the eyes. Her own were hollow, "I've never been near one before. Didn't really know what was happening and why they were talking. That's why I couldn't understand them for so long.."

Scott kept her gaze, even though her mind was anywhere but there, "Lydia. What did you finally hear?"

Her eyes flickered to Isaac. The fog seemed to be at a standstill around the boy. Stiles noticed that her skin turned colder when she did look at the beta.

Lydia's eyes quickly fell on the floor, "I shouldn't say."

"Lydia, we can help."

"I'm not even sure if that's why they even talked to me. They could be wanting me to stay quiet.. It was so frantic."

Stiles moved in front of her, hovering, "Lyd. What was so frantic?"

"They were. They spoke at the same time. Maybe even in tongues. And once I finally could focus in.. they chanted together," Lydia's stare turned cold, "They never talk together."

Stiles and Lydia stood there for a moment, looking in each others eyes.

Chris shuffled around the kitchen for a moment before reaching behind Lydia, "Here, kid. Drink some water."

She excepted the glass with one hand, the other subconsciously held on to Stiles' waist. Telling him not to move away just yet.

"Lydia. You can tell us," Scott was slowly walking around the bar.

Stiles jerked his head at him, "Give her a minute to think through it all. Damn."

Scott's expression turned to one of shock, seeing as everyone was yelling questions a minute ago.

But then again, when did Stiles ever need an excuse to be overprotective of Lydia? ϟ