The yelling becomes more evident as the group walks up the stairs. Lydia can't quite understand the words that are being said and maybe that's a good thing; already hearing Stiles' voice is making her feel uneasy, almost nauseous. Scott is leading the way upstairs; he'll go in first with Derek, followed by Isaac and Lydia, then Stuart. Lydia slows down her pace to give Scott and Derek enough time to talk some sense into Allison and Stiles, break them apart if they have to (the argument does sound heated). Scott, who was listening in on it, kept exchanging concerned looks with Isaac before disappearing with Derek into the loft.
The others wait outside the door for almost a minute. Someone inside might have said something because Isaac and Stuart both nod at the same time. Isaac looks down at Lydia, a little concerned. "You really don't have to do this."
Lydia shakes her head and takes a deep breath. Still holding Isaac's hand and leaving Stuart behind them for another minute, Lydia steps forward and opens the door. And he's right there, her Stiles, with cheeks flushed and heavy breathing probably from all the arguing, looking back at her like she knew he would. His eyes are not sparkling and there's not a smile on his face. He looks desperate; dead, at the lack of a better word. A tear rolls down his cheek and it takes Lydia all the strength she has not to go over there and wipe it away.
Stiles wants to run to her and make things right. Apologize over and over again until he can't anymore. Just looking at her is killing him. He's thought about this moment every single day that she's been away and it's still better and worse than he expected. He's thankful that she's back, that she's just ten feet away from him. Even if he doesn't like to admit it, he had accepted the possibility of Lydia not coming back to Beacon Hills, to the pack, to him. She's Lydia Martin after all. Why would she come back? Her whole life is ahead of her and what does the city, the pack, Stiles himself have to offer her? And even if he's glad that she did come back, it hurts. It hurts so much that it feels like there's this tangible force ripping his heart out of his chest and throwing it to the floor where it can be stepped on and even if Stiles knows, deep inside, that he could fight this feeling off by just talking to Lydia, not a word comes out.
No one says anything. Even if they wanted to, they probably couldn't. It's like all the air was sucked out of the room and to Lydia the silence is unbearable; it's consuming her and she wants nothing but to scream. Her grip on Isaac's hand is so tight that it's making the werewolf uncomfortable. Her voice comes out unsteady. "S- Scott?"
The Alpha nods slowly. "Stiles, I think you should sit down." Stiles is mostly unresponsive just looking at the strawberry-blonde like he's afraid she'll vanish if he looks away. Scott walks until he's behind his best friend and places his hands on the boy's shoulders, leading him towards the couch and making him sit. "Stiles, there's something we have to show you. I mean, someone..."
"Scott, just..." Lydia lets out the words like she's exhausted and in good honesty, she just wants to get it over with and leave. And she knows Scott; he'll mumble and go around the truth trying to find a better way to explain the situation and won't actually say it like he should. She's not in the mood for it; she's not even looking at Stiles and she knows his eyes haven't left her. It's making her edgy. "Stuart, just come in. It's okay."
Everyone is speechless as the two replicas are finally in the same room face to face. While everyone is looking at Stuart, Lydia is looking at Stiles. She watches his face go from cruel suffering to bewilderment in a second. He gets up from the couch instantly, of course, but voiceless. He does open and close his mouth several times but his mind is blank. Same can be said for Stuart because they are literally mirroring each other.
"W- What the...?" Allison stutters.
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It takes them a long time to sort it out. In that time, Stiles and Stuart walked around the other several times trying to figure out similarities. Actually, differences, because they are pretty much the same. Moles on the same spots, same height, same eye and hair color, even the way they gesture too much when they ramble. From what's at sight, they seem the same. Everyone got their round to look closely at the two of them, searching for the same things. Stiles is overwhelmed. Lydia being there and then this might be too much for him. Stuart is apprehensive, mostly because he doesn't know what's going on and he's completely surrounded by a whole pack of supernatural creatures, a pack that's not his own.
Lydia explained in detail what she encountered back at the grocery store with the help of Stuart and everyone listened attentively. When she's finished, no one really knows what to assume.
"So... What are we thinking?" Stiles is sitting next to Stuart on the couch and looks down at his hands. The question is for Lydia, no doubt about it, but Stiles leaves it in the air afraid she won't answer him.
She knows he's talking to her and absentmindedly she bites her lip, looking down at her hands too, blush covering her cheeks. Her hands are shaking slightly. "I'm thinking alternative reality or a parallel universe or something like that. Maybe witchcraft. It's all I can come up with," she whispers. "Did uh-" She doesn't necessarily want to talk to Stiles directly but they are the ones who usually figure things out, so... "Did anything feel different last night? Did something happen?"
Stiles shakes his head slowly, not looking up. "No. I mean, I don't think so..." He's interrupted by the sound of his phone beeping and checks the text message. "My dad can't come right now," he informs Scott. They had messaged everyone to get to the loft so that all the pack could be on the same page. Up until now, only Kira and Liam had showed up – and the group got a 'oh shit' from her, the Kitsune that never swears, ever, at the sight of the duo. "He's got a case, can't leave the Station right now. Parrish too."
"Say that again," Stuart asks.
"What?" Stiles looks at him confused.
The boy is curious. Looks hopeful, even. "You said dad. And station. What station are you talking about?"
It's weird to Stiles to be talking to, well, himself, sort of. But it's not like he has much of a choice. "My dad's the Sheriff here in Beacon Hills. He knows about the supernatural, like us."
Stuart stops breathing and looks back at Stiles somewhat offended. "Is..." He starts breathing heavy. "Is this a joke?"
Stiles keeps his confused expression. "What?"
The boy takes a moment to think, rearrange thoughts. "My dad, he..." Stuart feels like he's choking on his own words. "He died when I was three. I never met him," he says in a hushed tone. "I guess I just assumed yours had too. This is all so weird."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Now Stiles is the one curious. "But wait, who do you live with then?"
"My mom," Stuart answers nonchalantly. Seeing Stiles speechless has to mean something, Stuart has figured that much out already. "Why?"
"My mom died when I was ten."
The air in the room was already charged with bafflement and other mixed feelings about the current situation. Now it's mostly sadness. "I'm sorry too," Stuart says, offering Stiles a sympathetic smile that the boy gives back.
Scott breaks the moment. "I'm gonna go ahead and talk to Deaton, see if he knows something. At least until then, I don't think it's wise for both of you to wander around town, you know? Might raise suspicions." Both Stiles and Stuart nod at Scott's words.
"I don't want to trouble anyone but it's not like I have a place to go, really," Stuart says shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. "What do you suggest?"
"You could stay with me." Both Scott and Lydia offer at the same time. Stiles just stares at the ground, keeping his opinion to himself.
"Actually, I think he should stay with me," says Derek. "The loft is farther away from downtown so there's least chance of someone catching sight of both of you, and if I am really your Alpha wherever you came from, then there's a lot we need to talk about. The pack usually meets here anyway so I'd say it's our best option."
Stuart takes his words into consideration. Only from their brief interaction, he can already say that his Alpha is most certainly not the werewolf that's standing in front of him but Stuart wants to know more about him. How can two people who are essentially the same be so different? His Derek is nothing like this one. "Would that be okay? I really don't want to bother..."
"It'll be fine." Derek throws Stuart a half smile that catches everyone off guard, even himself. He can't say why but he feels like he knows the kid. It's weird. Derek turns to the rest of the pack. "Maybe we should all get together later? Preferably with everyone. All of us should be on the same page."
Scott agrees. "Yeah. This is gonna be so fun to explain to your dad," he chuckles, nodding towards Stiles.
"There will come a day when something will be too much for him and he'll be done with all this supernatural shit. Seeing two of us will probably be it," Stiles admits, rubbing his temples to try and dissipate his headache. "But his face..." Stiles' smile is so small that it's almost imperceptible. "His face will be priceless."
Everyone laughs lowly. The Sheriff does have some of the best facial expressions. "Then we'll meet here after lunch?" Scott suggests. Everyone nods. "I'll go meet Deaton with Kira and Liam. He'll probably tag along to see for himself."
"And we'll go home. We still have to unpack," says Allison, walking towards Isaac and Lydia and grabbing her best friend's free hand. "We should talk to our parents, see if they know something that could have led to this."
"And I'll call my dad to see when he and Parrish can make it," says Stiles.
"Oh and my mom," Scott remembers. "Her shift ends at 1pm."
"I can pick her up," Lydia offers quickly. "I'll drive her." She wants - needs - to talk to Melissa so it's a win-win.
"Okay, thanks." Scott smiles at the banshee. "Well, I guess that's everyone." It's not, of course. Malia is still untouched subject but no one seems to want to bring her up. Scott looks at Derek like some sort of warning and the werewolf nods to the unspoken conversation, reassuring the Alpha that everything will be okay. "We'll see you guys later, then."
Scott, Kira and Liam walk out first, Allison and Isaac next. Lydia stays for another minute to give Stuart a word of encouragement. "We won't be out long. And Derek here," she nods in his direction, "is not as bad as he seems, promise," she says with a smile. Derek rolls his eyes. "Give me your phone." Stuart complies. "This is my number. If you need anything just give me a call, alright? I won't be far."
"Thanks, though I don't know if it'll work." He tries to call her and Lydia's cellphone rings. "It does. Great." For a moment, Stuart almost seems more excited that his phone is working than that he just got the number of the strawberry blonde.
Already starting to walk away, Lydia looks back at Derek. "Call if you need anything." Then she gets out of there as fast as she can.
Stiles, who decided to stay at the loft a little longer to talk to Stuart some more, watches Lydia as she walks away without even a glance back at him. Fidgeting on his lap nervously, he has to fight the urge to start crying again. Stuart doesn't say anything; it's weird seeing himself - well, Stiles - in such misery but he doesn't know what to do. Derek, on the other hand, makes his way towards Stiles and crosses his arms in front of his chest when he's right in front of the boy.
Stiles looks up at him, slightly intimidated. "What do you want?" he mutters with a bitter tone.
"I had to watch you whine all summer. It wasn't necessarily pleasant. So I want you to get off your ass and go talk to her."
"W- What?"
"Either you get up or I'm throwing you out the window so you can reach her car before she can."
Stiles gets up, red all over his cheeks. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Maybe I don't. But my house, my rules, remember?" Stiles is taken aback by his comment and nods slowly. Derek stands straighter to prove his point. "Move. Go." Stiles almost trips as he starts running downstairs.
xxxxxxxxxx
Lydia was already expecting him to come after her. When she hears the building's door open far behind her, Lydia stops on her tracks. She's almost at her car, she could easily get away from him; still, she stays put. Stiles stops running when he's right behind her but she doesn't turn around and that's okay. He's not feeling particularly strong to face her either. They keep their tears from falling.
"If it's forgiveness you need," Lydia murmurs, "you have it. I forgive you, Stiles." And she means it. No one does a guilt trip like Stiles; she'll be damned it she's the cause of another one.
His voice comes out hoarse. "Don't. You shouldn't have to do that."
Lydia turns around to face him. "I want to," she whispers, looking into his eyes. It burns, their gaze.
"I'm glad you're back," he lets out.
The words fill her heart and for a second she considers shortening their distance to hug him but she can't; nothing's changed. Lydia takes a step back. "I- I can't..." Another step away from him. "I can't do this right now. I have to go."
And with that, Stiles watches her as Lydia walks away from him for the second time that day. They both cry.