nativity ☆ teen wolf

seven

☆ ☆ ☆

Christmas gained ever closer, just about a week left until the Christmas Eve service would debut their Nativity.

Beacon Hills was lit up brightly each night, nearly every resident in the holiday mood.

Nearly, being the key word.

The Martin House, typically one to hire professionals to put up outstanding lights, was barren in terms of past years.

It held a massive tree in the front room, it only half decorated as Ms. Martin undid ornaments from their plastic casings.

Natalie glanced over her shoulder, Lydia on the sofa with her knees to her chest. She stared rather blankly, not quite there. "Lydia, honey."

Green eyes lifted after a moment of hesitation. She didn't speak, only making a soft noise in the back of her throat to acknowledge she was still alive.

"Are you going to help me, sweetie?" asked Natalie softly as she hung an ornament onto the 7 foot Christmas tree, decorated with white lights and gold tinsel.

Lydia, who would've normally jumped at the chance, instead stayed seated. "You're almost done." She'd said it without much tone, it lacking any emotion.

Natalie hesitated, not wanting to push Lydia. "Alright." She hung another ornament, still concerned for Lydia's sake. "Are you planning on going to the Grangers for their party tonight? Hope called earlier saying she wanted you to come."

"I don't know," Lydia replied quietly. "I haven't decided yet."

Natalie checked her watch, "It's in an hour, hon. You should probably make up your mind soon." She watched Lydia for a moment, "She sounded like she really wanted us to go."

"Are you going?" questioned the strawberry blonde passively.

"No, I already told your grandmother that I'd go see her," Natalie said. "You're welcome to come wi-"

"I'll go to Hope's," Lydia spoke over her mother's request. She didn't want to go anywhere near Eichen House, not since what happened last month.

"Okay," said Natalie softly as she hung a Captain America ornament on the tree branch.

Lydia quietly rose, leaving the sitting room with her phone loosely in her palm. She headed up to her bedroom, changing into a green tank and a red cardigan. It was just cheerful enough to go with her black skirt and boots.

Natalie lifted her head as she heard steps return, Lydia grabbing her car keys off the table by the door. "Honey, are you going to say godbye?"

Lydia, still off her game but trying to pull through, removed her eyes from the door and moved them to her. "Sorry. I'm gonna go ahead and go. Maybe I can help them set up." She opened the front door, leaving quietly without waiting for a reply.

Beacon was nestled under a navy sky, most houses on the block lit up brightly.

Lydia climbed into her silver vehicle, bringing the car to life. She ran a hand over the charm dangling from her rear view mirror, it a gift from Allison, brought back from France. "You would like Hope."

The Granger House was void of party goers, close to an hour until the festivities were to start. It held a strange aura as Lydia pulled into the driveway, it causing a chill to run up her arm.

Lydia hesitantly climbed out of her car, loosely carrying her keys. Going up to the front door timidly, she knocked a few times. When no response came, she reached over and rang the doorbell.

Moments later, Hope appeared in an emerald colored skater dress with a soft smile. "Hey," she brightly greeted, "you're early. Come on in."

Lydia stepped into the home, decorations done sparsely and clearly in progress. "I was going to see if you needed help setting up."

"That would be great, actually." Hope headed towards the kitchen, it set with an array of holiday themed snacks. She picked up a roll of both types of streamers she had been working with, tossing the green roll to Lydia. "Help me with the living room?"

"Sure," she agreed quickly, in hopes on not bumming out the always cheery girl.

A light beam touched down outside, making Lydia jump.

Hope took Lydia's arm, moving her into the hall and away from the backyard without much force.

"What the hell was that?" Lydia asked as she tried looking over her shoulder back into the kitchen.

"It's a sensor light - my dad's out there bringing in lights from the shed," Hope said as if it were common place. "One of those bright annoying ones."

Immediaetly eased by her voice, Lydia gave a light nod and followed Hope into the living room. She cleared her throat, acting as if the light hadn't started. "Sorry about not being able to get you the other day."

"That's alright," replied Hope as she handed Lydia a tape dispenser. "Now I can say I've been on a dirt bike."

Lydia softly smiled, glad she'd not hurt Hope's feelings by not being there to pick her up. "He was surprised to find out you were a dancer."

Hope laughed, starting to hand up a ribbon of red from the ceiling. "I could tell. He looked like he'd never been to a ballet studio."

"I actually don't think he has been," said Lydia amusedly. "I guess there was a first time for each of you, then."

"He seems like a sweet guy," Hope admired as she twirled the streamer into a nice pattern across the cieling.

"He is," replied Lydia as she began helping to decorate the room. "He's been through a lot."

"You all have, haven't you?"

Lydia stopped, looking to Hope oddly. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overstep," Hope softly said as she slowed on her streamers. "I heard what happened about last month...the Argent girl."

"Her name was Allison," Lydia told Hope. She looked down, messing with the ring on her finger. "You would've liked her."

"I bet she was amazing." Hope kept her tone light, not wanting to upset Lydia.

"She was," Lydia replied quietly.

"Is that why Christmas is hard for you? You and the boys?"

Lydia stayed silent for a moment, but finally, she spoke. "She should be here, with us for Christmas. She was two months shy of her eighteenth."

"Hope, honey."

Both Hope and Lydia looked up, Pastor Granger in the doorway to the living room in a horrific holiday sweater.

"Could I speak with you?" asked the pastor to his daughter. His brow brimmed with light sweat, unlike his usual self.

"Sure," Hope quietly agreed as she stepped down form the chair she was up on. She put down her streamers, following her father out into the hall. "Why are you sweating? What's happening?"

"She wants to talk to them; Ram said so," Pastor Granger told her. "Tonight, Hatikva."

Hope hushed him, Lydia in the other room. "Her talking to them will defeat the purpose. Tell him no."

"You're kidding, aren't you? You want me to tell him no? There's no way-"

"This is my outfit, alright?" She spoke differently to him, as if she wasn't tied to him in any way but passing on the street. "He can't try to take over. I'm trying to help them move on. Speaking to her would only make it harder." Hope's voice stayed firm, but she didn't grow angry. "I'm doing this my own way."

Pastor Granger watched Hope carefully for a moment. "Are you going to tell them?"

"They were the ones who wanted me here in the first place, even if they didn't know it."