This was written before we knew what Parrish really was, and it was written as if there was no Theo, and Lydia's mom never found out about ALL of the weirdness surrounding her daughter and never started being a helicopter parent. Also it's written as if Stalia was still going strong and there was a Marrish possibility. It'll be mostly human-variety drama with mention of supernatural happenings.

It will be a 2-Shot

I don't own Teen Wolf. Not a story. Not a character. Nothing… =(

Lydia watched the rise and fall of Jordan's chest as he slept. He frowned in his sleep, which Lydia thought was funny. He had ash under his nails and the smudge of ash on his face. He'd come in that morning dead on his feet after working overtime because of a car accident in Beacon Hills that'd resulted in a little boy going missing from the scene. They'd found him after hours of searching, luckily, and he was unharmed, just traumatized. When Jordan came in he only had enough energy to kick off his shoes, take off his uniform, and face plant onto the bed.

Lydia eased up; trying not to wake Jordan, but the springs of his bed creaked.

"Where you heading off to?" He asked.

"Errands… and I have to go home to get my mail."

"They won't have responded yet." He said, referring to the work studies she'd applied to for next fall. It was a full year from now, but Lydia wanted to get things done ahead of time.

"I know that! I'm just checking for other things."

"You just want to go move things around to make your mother think you're still living there."

"I do live there."

"Since when?"

She swatted him on the back and he chuckled.

"Go back to sleep." Said Lydia, leaning over and kissing his lips, letting herself linger a little longer than she needed to.

"We'll go out tonight." He said.

"Okay." She said, getting up and grabbing the shorts and shirt she'd laid out.

She showered, brushed her teeth, and put her hair into a bun high enough to keep it off her neck. Summer was in its last days, but it wasn't leaving without a fiery fight. It was their fourth triple digit day of the week.

Her shorts were a little snug. It was no surprise. She hadn't been exercising lately and she and Parrish only seemed to have three pastimes: sex, conversation, and eating. While he worked she'd do her online summer courses, scour the bestiary for answers about him, and slip home to make it look like she'd been there. When he was off, they belonged to each other. It was all talking, kisses, lovemaking, ice cream sundae eating and petty arguments over the last slices of pizza.

It'd been a good summer and the thought of it ending left her feeling sick. How could she sleep in her own bed again when Jordan's was always so warm and permanently smelling of him?

Lydia managed to get on her shoes, put on deodorant, and slip out the front door without waking Parrish again. Her first stop was to the drug store.

She went in for shampoo, but before making her way to the hair care aisle she went down every other one first. She looked at all the lipsticks and fingernail polishes. She looked at the candy and the toys. She checked out the clearance section and contemplated buying some of the cheap but mildly adorable picture frames they had on sale. She decided against it.

When she finally got to the hair care aisle she spent five minutes comparing two brands of shampoo by price, size, and nutrients before finally going with her usual that smelled of lavender and mint.

"Lydia?"

It was Malia, and she was carrying a basket full of tampons, chocolate, and a $3 straight to DVD movie from the bin in the middle of the candy aisle.

"What are you doing in here Malia?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm on my period and I need supplies. Where have you been all summer?"

They'd been scattered out all summer. Kira was in New York still, Scott was working and taking summer classes, and Stiles was busy helping Malia find out more about her mother. They were all occupied.

"Oh you know, here and there." Said Lydia.

Nobody knew about her and Parrish, so far.

"You smell like a man."

"Here and there… Is your flow that heavy? You have ten boxes of tampons."

"I coupon and it's cheaper to buy in bulk. It's a good thing you won't have that problem for a while, huh?"

"What do you mean?" Asked Lydia.

Malia looked shocked. "Oh nothing…"

"Malia, it's not nothing. What are you talking about?"

"You really don't know?"

"No. I don't. Which is why I'm asking you!"

"You smell pregnant."

"That's just crazy."

"It's all over you."

She tried to retrace every day, thinking of when she might have skipped her birth control. She hadn't all summer. Like clockwork every morning at 9:00 she took her pill, so how could this have happened?

Malia was wrong. There was no other explanation. She had no clue what she was talking about. Certainly coyotes and humans wouldn't have the same type of scent during pregnancy. Surely…

"Just get a damn test. We'll take it at my place. My dad's not home." Said Malia, dragging Lydia along.

She got two tests, the kind that said "pregnant" and "not pregnant" because she didn't have time to decode any damned lines. All the way to Malia's house Lydia sat in the car, too focused on what the outcome of the test would be to worry about Malia's shotty driving. She barely noticed when they arrived at the house, practically skidding to a stop.

Just as quickly as she could, she drowned both sticks with pee and sat them on a piece of tissue on the counter, knowing that she'd yet to face the hard part.

She washed her hands and opened the bathroom door to Malia, who was waiting there with a cup of hot tea. Lydia thanked her for it. They went into the living room and sat in thick silence.

"Who'd have thought that you'd be here with me while I take a pregnancy test? Who'd have thought I'd be taking a pregnancy test?"

"Stranger things have happened. Do you want a girl or boy?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm going to get an abortion."

"That was a lie. A big one and you know it."

"I'll give it up for adoption."

"Also a lie. You're going to keep the baby no matter what. You already love it and you just found out about it. I smell it on you."

"You say that like the test has spoken. I might not even be pregnant."

"When you're still and silent, I can hear a heartbeat."

Lydia hoped that was her own heart beating twice, but she knew it was a long shot. She sat there drinking the sweet, hot, milky tea that Malia made her as they silently waited for the time of revelation. A ding from her phone went off, and Malia got up to get the tests. She came back with a facial expression of disbelief and both sticks in tow.

"Looks like they agree with me." Said Malia. "Pregnant."

"Fuck! What am I going to do?"

"Well, you're going to finish the tea I made you. You're going to tell Parrish and your mom. Then you're going to check out the childcare services at whatever fancy college you're going to."

"Or I could go work at the diner."

"Don't be stupid. You have almost all of your general education courses for college done. You're a shoe in for valedictorian. Everybody knows you're the smartest person this side of the country. You'll be fine, baby or no baby."

"This is good tea." Said Lydia, feeling more worried, yet calmer.

"My dad used to make it for me when I was upset as a child. Now let's go…I'm taking you back to your car so that you can go and tell your mom and Deputy Parrish."

"How'd you know it was Parrish?"

"The smell…slightly of a man's cologne and a lot like a house that's burning down."

This day was not going as planned. In just a span of three hours her whole world had been turned upside down. She kept the tests in Ziploc bags in her purse and they sat as an unwanted passenger as she drove to her mother's house. Against Malia's good advice, she'd decided not to tell Parrish. In fact, she was planning to hide from him at her mother's house.

She wasn't expecting her mother to be home. Professional Development had been taking up her days during the summer, but when she arrived Natalie was standing in the kitchen, eating a Lean Cuisine over the sink.

"Hey mom."

"My daughter finally decided to come home!" Said Natalie.

"What do you mean?"

"Lydia I'm not an idiot. I know you've been staying with Deputy Parrish."

"How did you know it was Parrish?"

"Honey, he lives just off Main Street. I see your car in his carport."

"You didn't disapprove."

"Because you're eighteen years old. Look… at least it's only one guy. I was living with a different guy every month when I was your age."

"And what if I told you I was stupid?" Asked Lydia, the floodgates holding back her tears opening.

"How far along are you?" Asked Natalie, as she cradled Lydia and held her to her, patting her back.

"I just found out today. About an hour ago. We were careful. I don't know how this happened. It's ruining everything."

"These things happen, Lydia. They just do. You have options, you know?"

"I know… I just…"

"You don't have to think about them now and you shouldn't think about them alone. Talk to Parrish."

"Why aren't you yelling at me?"

"You're sad enough. Besides, this isn't the end of the world. You're human, baby. I know that. I've been where you are before…exactly where you are. I daresay though that I didn't have many options."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…your grandparents weren't very supportive. The guy wasn't around. They weren't going to pay for my school if I kept the baby so I did what I had to do."

"Do you regret it?"

"In some ways yes. I always wondered what it would have looked like and where my life would have turned up. However, I would have never met your father if I hadn't gone the semester I did, and then I wouldn't have you. So you see… nothing is black and white. Talk to Parrish. We'll all sit down tonight and discuss what you two come up with. I'll make steak. I'll see you when I get back."

Natalie kissed Lydia's forehead and left to go back to her PD. She was taking on the role of guidance counselor and her attendance was mandatory. Lydia wandered around the house in a daze before finally landing in her room on her too cold, febreeze-scented bed.

She lay there crying and trying to figure out how her life could go where she wanted it to now. How could she go off to college with a baby? Where did that leave Jordan? What if he decided he wasn't ready for this and turned his back on her? The thought of that happening made her stomach quake.

She was there for hours before her phone rang; the song was "Sweet Thang" by Chaka Kahn, Parrish's ringtone. She wouldn't answer and he wouldn't stop calling. At least it seemed that way, though it was probably just the guilt of the secret making her feel like the phone was continuously ringing. After five missed calls over the next 45 minutes, Parrish clearly got the message and stopped calling. Lydia didn't know whether to feel relieved or guilty.

When she thought she might be off the hook, and hiding successfully, there was a knock at the door and she saw Jordan's truck parked in the driveway.

"Shit, shit, shit!"

Her phone buzzed, a text this time.

PARRISH: I know you're in there, answer the door. It's hot as balls out here.

She couldn't hide anymore.

"K" was all she responded before going down the stairs and letting Parrish in. He was sweating like a hog, but she still managed to smell like the body spray he uses. That stuff really has staying power.

"I came to see if you were okay." He said.

"Well I'm fine. You can go back home." She said, turning her back to him.

"I will as soon as you tell me what's going on. You ignored my calls and sent me straight to voicemail… why?"

She went over to the staircase and sat there for a long time in silence, contemplating whether or not to tell him. She folded into herself and scooted over, away from his blistering glare.

"Check my purse… they're in the zip lock bag." She said finally, not daring to look back at him. She imagined if she did it'd burn like looking at the sun for too long.

"What's in the zip lock bag?" He asked.

"Just go look. My purse in on the breakfast island."

She sat on the stairs and watched as he stood with the sticks in his hand, frozen with his brows furrowed in confusion. She knew she'd lost him.

"Why were you hiding from me?" He asked.

She couldn't give him an answer.

"I saw Malia in the pharmacy when I went to pick up shampoo. She said I smelled pregnant and forced me to take a test. I've taken my birth control faithfully every day, and we've been safe every time except the first time. I had the morning after pill then, though. Jordan… I don't know how this happened."

"Why were you hiding from me?"

"Well what was I supposed to do? Come to your house and tell you I'm pregnant? Then what?"

"Yes! That's what you do, and then we talk about it and come to a solution. What do you want?"

"I don't know."

"Whatever you decide, I'm here."

"No, you can go. I can't tie you down, Jordan."

"Is that what you think? That you're tying me down?"

He sat down beside her on the steps and she used the sweat-soaked sleeve of his shirt to dry her eyes.

"Are we having a baby or not?" He asked.

"We're poor."

"Poor people have babies all the time. I don't make much money, but I've put in for a promotion to the arson investigation unit. I interview for the program in two weeks. Now that Sheriff Stilinski knows my um…skill set, there's a good chance I'll get in. It'll be a lot of school and training, but more money."

"What about when I leave?"

"I can investigate arson anywhere. The program is 6 months, then a test. We'll get an apartment by your college. We'll work it out so that one of us can watch the baby until its old enough for daycare."

"I feel like this isn't even real."

"Well, it is. It's real Lydia, and I'm really here, and you're apparently really pregnant."

The conversation they had afterwards gave Lydia no comfort, and then she really knew that nothing could. They had more questions than they had solutions and more expenses than they had money. She couldn't shake the feeling that she'd regret her decision to keep the baby, but no other option seemed bearable to her. So, like many poor people before them, sitting on the bottom step in her mother's house… they decided to keep the baby that they could not afford.

They were still sitting on the stairs when Natalie returned with steaks from the butchers, a bag of potatoes, and a strawberry crème cake from the bakery.

"Mom, you brought a cake?"

"Look… I know you are scared, but I brought the cake because there needs to be some sweetness in this day."

It was obvious that Natalie was nervous. She always brought an overabundance of dessert when she was nervous.

"Mrs. Martin, do you need any help?"

"Jordan, call me Natalie. Help would be nice."

Lydia and Jordan helped Natalie prepare the meal, and they all made small talk about anything but the day's news. Lydia peeled potatoes, Natalie boiled and mashed them, and Jordan tenderized, flavored, seared, and baked the steaks to perfection. Afterwards they all sat down at the table. Lydia pushed the meat and potatoes around on her plate.

"So… what are we thinking we want to do?" Asked Natalie, taking a sip of her wine.

"We're thinking we'll keep it." Said Lydia.

"You know it'll be hard, right? Babies are hard even for married couples who are well off and older."

"We know." Said Jordan.

"Well, I'll help as much as I can. I do wish this news had come later, but there will be joy to come some day."

Lydia took a deep, ragged breath, trying to keep the tears in. It felt like she was going to gag.

She managed only a few bites of steak and half a scoop of mashed potatoes, but no more than that. She passed on the cake, knowing that she wouldn't be able to savor it if she ate it now.

She decided to stay the night at her own place that night, not because she didn't want to stay with Parrish, but because he was going in to work overtime after dinner and wouldn't be at home anyway. She walked him to the door when it was time for him to go get ready.

"We're going to be okay." He said.

"I know."

"No you don't, but I'm telling you…we'll be okay." He smiled, pulling her by the wrist into a hug that warmed her to the bone and calmed her racing heart, stomach, and mind.

"Be safe tonight."

"I always am. Bring me donuts and coffee around midnight."

"Donuts? Really?"

"Hey, cops do love donuts."

"You'll get cake and coffee."

"Fine."

Lydia watched Jordan drive away and then she went back inside. Natalie was wiping down the counters and having her fourth glass of wine. One more glass of wine, at the size Natalie poured them, and the bottle would be gone.

"I'd rather you just yell at me than keep drinking wine."

"I don't want to yell at you, I'm just scared Lydia. You have to promise me that you'll try to shield your child from this strange world you and your friends have adopted."

"We didn't adopt it, I was thrown into it by whatever gene grandma had that got passed down to me."

"It scares me. All the things you've been through… most of them I don't even know about."

"Because I don't want you drinking two bottles of wine every night. I'm always going to be a banshee and it's possible that my baby will be a banshee or something too."

"Or something? Don't tell me… What is Parrish?" Asked Natalie, as she topped off her wine.

"Well, we don't really know."

"You don't know?!"

"We just know that he is fire resistant."

"Okay. So you have visions and he is fireproof. I guess those two qualities have their perks."

"Mom, I don't want you to be worried about me all the time."

"Even if we weren't here, and you weren't involved in this strange world, I'd still worry because I'm your mother. It's what we do. You'll find that out soon." She said, giving Lydia a warm smile and placing a hand to her cheek.

"So what do I do? I feel so out of sorts. I don't know what I should be doing."

"I'll call Dr. Sanderson and schedule an appointment for you for tomorrow. We'll go from there."

"Thanks mom."

She kissed Lydia on the forehead and then retired to bed.

Lydia finished up the study guide for the calculus class she was taking for college credit and then she headed for the police station. She brought with her a quarter of the cake and a thermos of coffee at exactly midnight. Jordan had his back turned at his computer and he was on the phone.

"Mom, I promise you'll meet her soon… No, I'm not trying to keep you away from your grandchild… Yes mom, I'll make sure that she doesn't eat anything too vinegary… Yes, I know you're proud of me… Yes, I know that nobody in the family thinks I'm a failure because I didn't go to college… No, I didn't know cousin Timothy went back to jail… I promise not to start stealing cars like him… I love you too, Mom. Bye."

Lydia couldn't help but laugh as she listened to Parrish's strained conversation with his mom. When he hung up the phone he turned around and looked at her through narrowed eyes.

"I can't wait to meet your mom."

"You say that now, but wait until she has you shopping at the JC Penny outlet for hours on end or watching Judge Judy while you scrapbook."

"She sounds like a good time to me."

"She's been dying to meet you, especially now."

"We should go visit."

"I'm up for it. I have some vacation time left. Maybe during your fall break?"

"Let's plan on it."

The police station was pretty dead this time of night and since there were no abnormal supernatural events going on they were operating with the minimum amount of officers. Aside from the subtle whisper of music from another deputy's desk, and the hum of the custodian buffing the floor, you could hear a pin drop.

She hopped onto his desk and they shared the cake. Lydia went to take a swig of Parrish's coffee and he snatched it away.

"What are you doing? You can't possibly drink all that coffee." Asked Lydia, reaching for it as Parrish kept holding it further and further away.

"Lydia, you can't have coffee. You're pregnant."

"What? That's crazy!"

"Pregnant women are advised not to have coffee."

"I don't believe you."

"Look it up."

She did look it up, refusing to take Jordan's word for it. She found that she could have coffee, just not much. He eventually let her have a drop of his coffee, under hawk-like supervision.

"So what are you working on?"

"Waiting for a call. Looking at shelf partitions."

"Why?"

"Well, I was thinking. I don't need a dining room. We can put up some shelf partitions and make an extra room for the baby."

"You're already decorating… I don't even know for sure if I'm really pregnant."

"Two tests said you were."

"I could have cancer. Some cancers give a false positive on a pregnancy test."

"You don't have cancer. We are pregnant."

"Well technically you're not… I just don't know how life is gonna look now."

"Lydia, you don't have to have the baby."

"But that's the problem. I want to. Fucking Malia was right, I love it already, but I do not like it. I do not like this baby."

"It'll be fine. We'll work it out."

"I haven't been so afraid since well… Since I knew Allison was dying and I couldn't do anything."

"Well this isn't like that because nobody is dying this time. Okay?"

"Okay."

Lydia sat talking to Jordan until she noticed Sheriff Stilinski's cruiser riding by. She didn't want it to look like he was doing nothing, so she kissed him and left him with the rest of the cake and half a thermos of coffee.

She didn't sleep well at all that night. She couldn't seem to get comfortable. She usually slept on her stomach but now that she knew there was someone living in that area, she didn't feel right laying on top of them. Of course she knew she wouldn't hurt them, but even geniuses have irrational fears.

When she finally did doze off the sun was rising. She heard her mother's alarm clock go off. An hour later Natalie was opening her room door.

"Lydia…"

"Mom?"

"You have an appointment at 10. Don't be late."

"Will you come with me?"

"I have to work sweetie. See you after work! Call me at 12 to tell me the findings."

"Okay."

Lydia: Doctor at 10.

Jordan: I'll pick you up at 9:15.

There was no more denying that there was a baby inside of her. Lydia saw the little lima bean on the screen and heard the heartbeat through the monitor. Parrish smiled at the visual, his eyed glassed up as he took a picture of the computer screen to send to his mom. Lydia just couldn't celebrate. From midnight to morning she'd gone numb and the only thing she could feel was the cold, disgusting gel on her stomach. She wished she could be happy with Parrish, but she knew that in approximately 7 months and 3 weeks she'd be giving birth to more than a baby, she'd be giving birth to a whole host of problems that they were not equipped to deal with.

"Talk to me." Said Jordan, once they climbed into the truck. Lydia tried laying her head against the window but the glass burned her forehead.

"Shit! Ow…This is a disaster, Jordan."

"Yeah, it is. Most things in life are."

"What are you talking about?"

"Lydia, think about it. Everything in our lives up until this point has been a disaster. What do you remember more…your life doing whatever it is you were doing before you found out you were a banshee and life got rough, or the shit storms you've lived through every day after?"

"After. I guess. I just don't know Jordan. It feels…"

"You're scared. I know that. I know you're worried about money. I know you're worried about school. It will be figured out, either by us or by fate. Will you trust that?"

"I suppose."

"I know you don't, but that's okay. Want to go to the patty Queen? I'll get you the box."

"I'd like extra fries instead of the side salad."

"That's my girl."

Their day ended at Parrish's place, with him forcing her to dance in the middle of his living room, in an attempt to cheer her up. It had worked after their spats. It had worked when she ended her writing class with a B+ instead of an A. It was Parrish's tried and true attempt at getting Lydia to forget her ills. They swayed to what had to be Florence and the Machine, she was singing about green lights…Lydia was sure she'd heard the song before, and it fit her mood now. It was a sad tune, but had the flowing force of a gust of straight line wind. Before she could let a tear fall Jordan captured her lips with his.

"We'll be okay." He said, kissing her neck and rubbing her thigh through the navy blue cotton dress she'd worn that day. His palms made her feel like a space heater was blowing on her legs. "Well be okay." He said, picking Lydia up, carrying her into their bedroom where he took her sandals off, unbuckling them with care. He let her hair down from the bun it was in, running his fingers across her scalp to relieve the tension from the pinch-y hair tie. "Well be okay." He whispered, undoing the buttons on the front of her dress, kissing every portion of newly exposed flesh. Each encounter with his lips to her skin had Lydia holding her breath. By the time he'd removed all of her clothes and kissed the entirety of her body she was gasping for air.

She pulled him close, kissing his lips, chin, cheeks, nose, ear, neck, shoulder…taking in his scent as she did, holding onto his arm like she was holding onto life itself. She found her way back to his lips and he freed himself from his pants with the arm that wasn't wrapped around her. Becoming one with Parrish felt like coming home. It was warmth and bliss.

She loved him in all forms. She liked the weight of him on top of her, the feeling of his nails digging into her hips when he was behind her. The way he ran his fingertips across her body when she was on top. She tightened herself around him in response as his fingertips tickled delicate parts of her body. He grunted, rising up to meet her face as she moved her hips to send them both on the road to paradise. She looked down to meet his eyes when she felt the pressure expand in her core. They glowed like the end of a cigarette.

"Lydia." She heard him say her name, but was unsure that he actually spoke it with his lips.

He grabbed Lydia, holding her tightly as the pressure building inside her sparked an implosion that sent lighting dashing across her skin, an earthquake pounding at her core, and tears flooding from her eyes. The sap of his passion flowed from her and onto the sheets when she fell back into the bed.

His eyes still glowed orange.

"Parrish… your eyes."

He kissed her hard. "You're mine."

He went to sleep without another word. She couldn't go to sleep, but she couldn't move. Instead she lay there thinking about what just happened and the lima bean baby that was growing within.