fixing things (shouldn't be this complicated) [Teen Wolf]

First Step, Or, Where's my TARDIS?

"Are you sure this will work?" Stiles says, pausing outside the ring of green powder.

"Of course it'll work," Lydia snaps. Her face is shadowed from the thin shafts of moonlight streaming between the canopy of the trees. Nevertheless Stiles can see the dark circles under her eyes, the listless hue to her skin. Her eyes are dull when they meet Stiles's; for a moment they share how utterly overwhelmed and tired they are, how everything has gone to hell for them both since that horrible day nearly three weeks ago.

Then, as if nothing happened, Lydia flicks her hair and huffs. "If we're going to do this, then let's do this," she says briskly. "Time waits for no woman."

Groaning, Stiles steps over the edge of the circle. "That was horrible, Lydia, never joke again."

"I wasn't joking," Lydia says distractedly, pouring the last of the green powder to close the circle. "Cora!" she calls before Stiles can point out that it sounded an awful lot like a joke to him. "Hold the light for me, I can't read in all this dark."

"But Lydia - " Cora's voice says from somewhere behind Lydia. Stiles can't really see where. He shivers, for Cora's voice echoes a little in the woods, and it reminds him of too many things the he doesn't want to name, much less think about.

"Cora," Lydia says. That's it. That's all it takes to get Cora to trudge through the trees, feet wolf-silent over the leaves, to Lydia's side. She takes the flashlight, expression disgruntled, but Stiles can see the fear underneath, and the apprehension. In so many ways Cora is like an open book once you get to know her. Not a sentence Stiles ever thought he'd use for her, since her bitchface is just as impressive as Derek's, but she's not so bad...once you get to know her.

Stiles has a mad moment where he wonders, if Cora had been around more, would they have been friends? Probably not, he dismisses. He and Scott - he and Scott were -

Lydia steps up with her cell phone in hand. Stiles gratefully turns his attention to her and nothing but her.

"Once you get sent back," she says to Stiles, ignoring Cora's scowling over her shoulder, "you should have a little time before Allison's aunt burns the Hale House down. Warn the Hales. I mean it, Stiles. Do everything you can to get their attention. Get Deaton to help you. He - "

"Lydia!" Stiles shouts. "I know, okay. I have the plan basically burned into my brain, we've gone over it so many times."

" - should be able to tell you how to control your Alpha, too," Lydia continues as if Stiles hadn't said anything. "I wish you luck in that, I really do."

"Alpha? What are you talking about?" Cora demands. Stiles snaps his mouth shut and shoots a glare at her. Stupid Cora; Stiles was going to ask that. He takes back what he'd said earlier, Cora is totally still dislikeable.

"Stiles did kill one of the Alphas," Lydia shoots back, not nearly as annoyed with Cora as she should be. She fixes Stiles with a serious look. "Remember that. Remember what Deaton told us about balance."

"But I'm human - " Stiles tries to protest. Lydia talks right over him, saying - wait, those words are familiar. In fact, they're the words to the ritual. So they're starting this now, great. Stiles takes a shaky breath and clenches his fists inside his hoodie's pocket. Nothing like a little magic ritual to brighten up his day.

As Lydia's voice rises and sinks in cadence, Stiles looks around. He's been in the woods at night before, they all have obviously, being chased about by the Alpha pack or doing some chasing of their own, but he'll never get used to it. The way that everything is so quiet, or how closed in he feels by the eclipsing darkness.