Fic: Strange as You Are to Me // G // Gen // Lydia, Sheriff Stilinski
This is my fix-it fic submission for this week's #thismighthelp challenge hosted by Keysmashblog. My fic this week was inspired by When Stiles ran after his father after Barrow was supposedly spotted somewhere that wasn't the school, Lydia was standing by the door and pretending not to pay attention. It made me think about her progression throughout the series, from how she was truly oblivious in season 1 to everything going on, then in season 2 when she was being KEPT oblivious to protect her and then in season 3 when she was desperately trying to not be oblivious and then had to pretend.
That made me think about how through this all she's been dealing with it all on her own and she's the only one. Melissa knows about Scott, Allison's dad knew about the world before she did and now Stiles' dad is in on everything. She's the only one who can't go to her parents and be like- so yeah, this is what's going on with me. That's where this ficlet came from and I like it. :D
The last person the sheriff expected at the front door was Lydia.
"Lydia," the sheriff greeted with a nod. "Stiles isn't here."
Lydia opened and closed her mouth while rocking on her heels. "Oh. Okay. I guess I'll come back," she said slowly, as if working the words through in her head. She turned around and started to walk off the porch but the sheriff sighed.
"I think he's at Scott's. Shouldn't be too much longer. Want to come in?"
Lydia turned on her heel, red curls wrapping over her shoulder and she smiled brightly up at the sheriff. "Sure!"
The sheriff led her into the kitchen where she took a seat primly at the end of the table. The sheriff put the kettle on for tea ("Stiles keeps a box of tangerine orange zinger here for me." "Ah, so that's where it came from.") and started brewing a pot of decaf for himself. When they both had their drinks the sheriff say down at the table, opposite Lydia, and stared at his cup.
A few Minutes later Lydia sighed. "I know you want to ask so just do it."
The sheriff looked up, surprised. "Excuse me?"
Lydia made a sweeping gesture with her hand. "The banshee thing? I know you've been wondering. Stiles was rambling on about some chess board and needing a new piece or something?"
The sheriff gave her a strained smile. "Right."
"So ask."
"Um. I'm not really sure... I mean. How... how did it happen?"
Lydia shrugged. "It's something biological for sure, been part of me since birth from what it seems."
"Since birth?"
"I didn't catch it, if that's what you're meaning. I didn't even know until that night."
"At the school with Jennifer?"
"Right. Until then I just knew I was... something," Lydia explained with a fond smile. "It was Stiles who pushed me..."
"To believe in yourself?" The sheriff asked.
"I was going to say to the edge of a cliff and made me want to throw myself over."
The sheriff chuckles. "Sounds about right." Lydia smiled back and nodded and then they fell silent for a minute, while they sipped their drinks. "Do your parents know?"
Lydia seemed to hunch in on herself for a second before squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin, as if daring anyone to challenge her. "Dad's off on business a lot so we don't get together very often right now. And mom is too busy making a name for herself with her interior design company to pay too much attention. I thought she might have suspected something after that night with Miss Blake but... It's for the best, I'm sure."
"You don't think they should know?" The sheriff asked. "That maybe they'd want-"
"Sheriff, you've met my parents, right?" The sheriff nodded. "Do you think they should or would want to know?"
The sheriff gave Lydia a small smile. "Guess not. Sometimes I wonder if it was better before I knew about all this stuff."
Lydia leaned forward suddenly, across the table, and covered one of the sheriff's hands with hers. "Not for Stiles. Having you in our corner means a lot to him. And I think Scott is able to handle everything in his life easier now that his mom knows."
"Maybe we need a parental support group," the sheriff joked. Lydia leaned back and sat up straight in her chair and fiddled with her mug.
"Maybe someday my parents could go," Lydia replied softly, casting her eyes down.
The sheriff leaned forward this time. "You know, Lydia, if you ever need to talk about anything-"
"Dad?" The front door opened and, from the sounds of it, Stiles tumbled through and dropped his bag on the floor while he hurried into the kitchen. "Why is- Lydia!"
"Stiles," Lydia greeted as she pushed up from the table. "What did we discuss at lunch?"
"I know, we were supposed to meet at-"
Lydia cut him off. "And what time is it now?"
"After three, I know but-"
"You can tell me on the way to the library. Do you have your research ready?"
Stiles opened his mouth to say something but clearly thought better of it and left the kitchen. A couple seconds later they heard him running up the stairs to his bedroom.
"Doing a homework project together?" the sheriff asked, gathering their mugs to put in the sink.
"Not for school. We're trying to research past history of any supernatural occurrences in the preserve to come up with a potential formula for predicting future occurrences based on lunar patterns and environmental influences," Lydia explained quickly.
The sheriff blinked.
"If you ask Stiles he'll go on and on about it, I'm sure," Lydia said with a laugh, then continued in a quieter tone. "And I'm sure he'd like to tell you."
"I will," the sheriff replied.
Lydia stepped in and stood on her tip toes to kiss the sheriff on the cheek quickly as they heard Stiles thumping back down the stairs. The sheriff looked down at Lydia, surprised.
She smiled softly. "Thanks."
The sheriff watched Lydia walk out of the kitchen quickly to join Stiles.
"Any time."
That made me think about how through this all she's been dealing with it all on her own and she's the only one. Melissa knows about Scott, Allison's dad knew about the world before she did and now Stiles' dad is in on everything. She's the only one who can't go to her parents and be like- so yeah, this is what's going on with me. That's where this ficlet came from and I like it. :D
The last person the sheriff expected at the front door was Lydia.
"Lydia," the sheriff greeted with a nod. "Stiles isn't here."
Lydia opened and closed her mouth while rocking on her heels. "Oh. Okay. I guess I'll come back," she said slowly, as if working the words through in her head. She turned around and started to walk off the porch but the sheriff sighed.
"I think he's at Scott's. Shouldn't be too much longer. Want to come in?"
Lydia turned on her heel, red curls wrapping over her shoulder and she smiled brightly up at the sheriff. "Sure!"
The sheriff led her into the kitchen where she took a seat primly at the end of the table. The sheriff put the kettle on for tea ("Stiles keeps a box of tangerine orange zinger here for me." "Ah, so that's where it came from.") and started brewing a pot of decaf for himself. When they both had their drinks the sheriff say down at the table, opposite Lydia, and stared at his cup.
A few Minutes later Lydia sighed. "I know you want to ask so just do it."
The sheriff looked up, surprised. "Excuse me?"
Lydia made a sweeping gesture with her hand. "The banshee thing? I know you've been wondering. Stiles was rambling on about some chess board and needing a new piece or something?"
The sheriff gave her a strained smile. "Right."
"So ask."
"Um. I'm not really sure... I mean. How... how did it happen?"
Lydia shrugged. "It's something biological for sure, been part of me since birth from what it seems."
"Since birth?"
"I didn't catch it, if that's what you're meaning. I didn't even know until that night."
"At the school with Jennifer?"
"Right. Until then I just knew I was... something," Lydia explained with a fond smile. "It was Stiles who pushed me..."
"To believe in yourself?" The sheriff asked.
"I was going to say to the edge of a cliff and made me want to throw myself over."
The sheriff chuckles. "Sounds about right." Lydia smiled back and nodded and then they fell silent for a minute, while they sipped their drinks. "Do your parents know?"
Lydia seemed to hunch in on herself for a second before squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin, as if daring anyone to challenge her. "Dad's off on business a lot so we don't get together very often right now. And mom is too busy making a name for herself with her interior design company to pay too much attention. I thought she might have suspected something after that night with Miss Blake but... It's for the best, I'm sure."
"You don't think they should know?" The sheriff asked. "That maybe they'd want-"
"Sheriff, you've met my parents, right?" The sheriff nodded. "Do you think they should or would want to know?"
The sheriff gave Lydia a small smile. "Guess not. Sometimes I wonder if it was better before I knew about all this stuff."
Lydia leaned forward suddenly, across the table, and covered one of the sheriff's hands with hers. "Not for Stiles. Having you in our corner means a lot to him. And I think Scott is able to handle everything in his life easier now that his mom knows."
"Maybe we need a parental support group," the sheriff joked. Lydia leaned back and sat up straight in her chair and fiddled with her mug.
"Maybe someday my parents could go," Lydia replied softly, casting her eyes down.
The sheriff leaned forward this time. "You know, Lydia, if you ever need to talk about anything-"
"Dad?" The front door opened and, from the sounds of it, Stiles tumbled through and dropped his bag on the floor while he hurried into the kitchen. "Why is- Lydia!"
"Stiles," Lydia greeted as she pushed up from the table. "What did we discuss at lunch?"
"I know, we were supposed to meet at-"
Lydia cut him off. "And what time is it now?"
"After three, I know but-"
"You can tell me on the way to the library. Do you have your research ready?"
Stiles opened his mouth to say something but clearly thought better of it and left the kitchen. A couple seconds later they heard him running up the stairs to his bedroom.
"Doing a homework project together?" the sheriff asked, gathering their mugs to put in the sink.
"Not for school. We're trying to research past history of any supernatural occurrences in the preserve to come up with a potential formula for predicting future occurrences based on lunar patterns and environmental influences," Lydia explained quickly.
The sheriff blinked.
"If you ask Stiles he'll go on and on about it, I'm sure," Lydia said with a laugh, then continued in a quieter tone. "And I'm sure he'd like to tell you."
"I will," the sheriff replied.
Lydia stepped in and stood on her tip toes to kiss the sheriff on the cheek quickly as they heard Stiles thumping back down the stairs. The sheriff looked down at Lydia, surprised.
She smiled softly. "Thanks."
The sheriff watched Lydia walk out of the kitchen quickly to join Stiles.
"Any time."