Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Theo was not having a good day. Actually, he wasn't having a good week. Still, seeing as how that was why they were traipsing through the hollowed ruins of Concordia, he felt secure in only mentioning how spectacularly shitty today was because today was epically shitty. 

First, he woke up naked and not in his bed, which is honestly the only place he felt even remotely comfortable waking up naked. Second, he was apparently tapped into some kind of freaky four-way death omen vision that mimicked the nightmares plaguing him for the past few days. Then third, and this was the icing on the shit cake, everyone seemed real content with calling him a death omen now. He had one little shared vision with the Team Death Omen and their Druid and suddenly they were referring to him as a death omen. Which was utterly ridiculous because he wasn’t… he couldn’t be… he definitely wasn’t… 

“I'm a fucking death omen, aren't I?” Theo grumbled, coming to an abrupt halt in their depressing parade through the town. 

Mason and Jordan merely gave him sympathetic pats as if welcoming him to the sad-ass club he never asked to be a part of before continuing on. Lydia sighed, looping her arm through his. He pouted looking down at the redheaded banshee. 

“I didn't ask for this,” he pointed out. 

“Pretty sure none of us did.”

“I don't want this.”

“Not sure any of us wanted any of this aside from Mason but he's a weirdo”

“I'm not even supernatural!”

“I think we both know that's not true,” Lydia countered, raising an eyebrow. “I don't know if this is a side effect of sending you to hell, or the many times you've almost died or something you were always meant to be, but you're a death omen, Theo.” She cupped his cheek. Her smile was wistful and a little sad. “You are the chimera of death.” 

That damn nickname. He never knew how it started but it was just there. Lingering over him no matter how much he tried to move past it. Everyone knew him as the chimera of death. But he never understood why. He never had any actual blood on his hands before Tracey and Josh but the nickname existed long before then. 

“I've always been this way.” It wasn't a question but Lydia nodded anyway. He swallowed. “What do I do? How…?”

“I don't know. But is it really that surprising?” 

Theo wanted to argue but he couldn't. He didn't know what he did to earn the nickname but he knew it was accurate. He just didn't know how or why. But he knew there was something about death that called to him. He usually ignored it. But there was one time…

“Gabe,” he whispered out loud. Lydia nodded. 

“You tried taking Mason's pain but you couldn't. Yet you were able to take Gabe’s pain easily while he was dying only a few days later,” Lydia said. “You knew that you could do it. Liam told me that he's never seen someone take away someone’s pain so quickly before. Especially someone who never did it before.”

Theo tugged at his shirtsleeves absently. Nothing Lydia was saying was wrong. And that was the problem. He operated under a certain belief his whole life but this was throwing it all out the window. Because if he was supernatural, that meant the Doctors lied to him. And even more than that… his parents had to be supernatural too. Also, how did it work? He was so sick when he was a child. He had a heart condition and asthma. He was on the verge of death almost every day before the Doctors found him. He's never heard of any supernatural that was on that level of sickness. 

He raked his free hand through his hair. The point of coming home was to find out what was happening but at every given turn he was finding more and more questions. It was frustrating and he was getting more and more anxious. Everything was starting to feel hopeless. He didn’t understand how he was supposed to keep going like this. Why can’t they just find him…. Wait…. 

“Um, I think I’m feeling things I’m not supposed to be feeling.” 

Mason and Jordan turned around with matching expressions of confusion. Lydia simply raised an eyebrow. Theo rolled his eyes. “I was just thinking and suddenly I felt this burst of anxiety and the need for someone to find me.” 

“The banshee!” Mason yelled. “You aren't having post-death visions. You're connected to the banshee. You can see what she saw and you're feeling what she's feeling.” 

“This day just gets better and better,” Theo muttered. He sighed, tugging off his hoodie and handing it to Mason. Then he reached for his shirt. 

“Dude! W is not the time to start stripping!” 

“Well, I asked you to come up with a spell that saved my clothes when I shift but you didn't. So here we are.” 

“Ugh,” Mason groaned, turning around with a dramatic whine. 

Theo rolled his eyes and quickly shed the rest of his clothes. He pointedly ignored the fact that neither Jordan nor Lydia turned around. Jerks. Instead, he gave into the shift. The pain of his bones literally breaking and reforming never got any easier to deal with but it was quickly forgotten as the shift took over. 

Everything was sharper when he was like this. The misery embedded in the town. The stench of death. But so was the feeling of fear. He repressed the urge to howl at the anxiety he felt pressing against him. He knew it wasn't him. But he felt it like it was his own. And there was more than just that. There was concern mixed with warm affection and confusion. His head swiveled towards Lydia who was staring at him with wide eyes. 

“You can feel me too?” Lydia asked. Theo barked. She blinked. “Well, that’s a new thing. You think you can get a lock on our missing banshee?” 

Theo barked again and took off, trusting that they would keep up with him. He didn't really know where he was going, just going on blind instinct. The fact that his instincts were leading him to find a person he didn't know was straight-up terrifying but he would let himself give into that fear later. For now, he was just going to focus on finding the banshee, getting her out of this ghost town, and then giving in to the panic-inducing journey that would be finding out what he really was. Because it was beyond obvious at this point that he wasn't what he thought he was. 

“Is this it?” 

Theo jolted as he realized that he had stopped in front of what was clearly once a house. He didn't know what it looked like before but it was little more than ash now. Somehow in the midst of his spiraling thoughts and borrowed emotions, he had wandered into the remains of the home. 

“Is that a door?” Jordan asked, coming to stand next to Theo. He kneeled down and poked at what appeared to be a steel door. “Good boy!” 

Theo growled before pawing pointedly at the ground. Jordan snickered and took the hint to pry the door open. It took some effort as it was practically melted shut. But it was ultimately no match for a very determined hellhound. The door led down a pair of rickety-looking stairs into a dark basement. 

The four friends exchanged looks before three turned decisively towards one. Jordan sighed and Theo almost felt bad for him. But not really. The basement looked super creepy and there was no telling what they were going to find down there. He was not in the mood to shift back right now and that was the only way he would feel comfortable going down there. It was the definition of dark and creepy. There was literally no way of knowing what was down there.

That ended up being the understatement of the century as Jordan didn't even make it to the bottom of the stairs before a too familiar screech sent him flying backward. Theo managed to jump out of the way, pulling Lydia with him with his teeth. It wasn't enough to save Mason though and the pair collided and rolled a short distance away. 

Theo popped up and stood in front of Lydia as protectively as he could while still in canine form. The banshee behind him was equally defensive and had energy swirling around her hands. Energy that faded as they finally looked at their attacker… or rather their attackers. Huddled in the farthest corner of the basement with one flickering candle behind them were two little girls. Dark gray eyes glared at them and they held on to each other fiercely. 

“Oh my god,” Lydia gasped, eyes darting between the pair in front of them. “They’re both banshees.” 

Theo felt her surprise mingling with an overwhelming sense of panic and fear. It was overwhelming because it was coming from them both. Damn. Twin banshees. That was definitely not something he ever imagined happening. But it made sense. The girls appeared to be identical from where he was standing. So it made sense that they would both be banshees. Still, twin banshees that apparently were well aware of what they were and didn’t appear to be more than ten years old? This was definitely a Problem. 

Lydia stepped forward, flinching when the girls took a collective step back. She mustered a comforting smile. “Hello,” she tried. She held a hand up and let the banshee energy she generated for her screams trail over her hands. The girls watched her fascinated but still not any less defensive. “My name is Lydia. I’m just like you. You both.” 

The girls tilted their heads to the side but still didn’t seem any less cautious. But Theo felt curiosity. He felt intrigued. He wasn’t surprised when he saw their gaze on him. Theo barked softly. Lydia murmured quietly when she picked up on the same thing. 

“This is my friend, Theo. He’s actually a real boy but he can also turn into a wolf.” 

“Dog,” one of the girls said. 

Lydia nodded. “Yes, he’s like a dog. But he’s actually a wolf. Well, wolf and coyote.” 

“No, he’s a dog.” 

“Okay, sure. He’s a dog,” Lydia agreed, with all the patience of a woman who wanted to be anywhere but where she was. Theo snorted. She popped him over his wagging tail. “The point is Theo is different. He can be a dog but he’s also a human. He’s our friend. You can feel him. I can feel him too.” 

The girls stared at him with wide eyes. Theo tilted his head to the side as he felt the insistent pull from them. He took a hesitant step forward, large body moving slowly to lessen the chance of them thinking he was a threat. They watched his every move but didn't stop him or shrink away. 

He finally came to a stop in front of them, lowering himself to the floor in front of the girls. Up close he could see that they weren't just virtually identical, they were practically clones of one another. From the dark gray orbs to the smattering of brown freckles that covered light bronze color skin and the black hair hung over painfully thin shoulders. Because he was so close to them, he could see the moment their eyes softened. The tension unfurling from their small bodies as they kneeled down beside him. 

The room was silent as they watched one of the girls reach towards Theo with a trembling hand. He snuffed and the hand landed on his fur. He heard one of them whisper “soft” before four sets of fingers were coursing through the fur on his back. He heard Mason cooing and then the telltale sounds of a shutter going off. He was going to kill him. Later. 

Right now his entire focus centered down to the two girls that had settled down by him. Any apprehension they had faded as they had their faces hidden on his left side. The side shielding them from the scrutiny of the other two. Theo started to make some dismissive comment (well the best he could while still shifted) when he felt his fur getting wet. He huffed when he realized that the girls were crying. 

Theo got comfortable on the ground, all insulting comments towards Mason fleeing as he felt the various emotions the two girls were feeling pouring into him like they were his own. He didn't know if it worked both ways and they could feel him but the least he could do was sit still and let them cry it out. The time for questions and revenge against certain druids would come later. For now, he was going to let them cry. 

Liam honestly didn't know what to expect when they finally made it to the address Lydia gave them but it wasn't what they found. For starters, they almost didn't find the place to begin with, having to rely on the tracker Argent managed to slip in Theo's water before they started this road trip. He was really going to have to start checking his boyfriend's food and drinks going forward. Honestly, it would probably be best to check all their food and drinks going forward. Melissa might have tamed him but Chris was still a hunter who enjoyed using his tricks against his extended family for his own twisted sense of fun. 

Still, it came in handy as they easily found their missing pack members waiting in a basement of what was clearly a burned down home. They made their way down the stairs to find Lydia leaned up against a wall beside a groggy looking Jordan and Mason gleefully taking pictures of a shifted Theo who was being held by two little girls. The twins. Huh. The added presence of Scott, Liam, and Chris caused both girls to tense. 

“No, it’s okay. They're safe. We know them,” Lydia said, scrambling forward before they could move. The girls stopped but were still tense as they stared at Lydia. “This is Liam, Chris, and Scott. Scott is the Alpha of our pack. Liam is his beta and he's Theo’s boyfriend. Chris is like our unofficial kind of official dad. But he’s Scott and Theo’s official official dad.” Just like that, the girls softened. They looked down at Theo, who huffed in their direction. 

That was apparently all they needed as they let go of his fur and chose to stand beside him instead. Scott approached them slowly, kneeling down beside his brother and the twins. The little banshees watched as Theo leaned the bulk of his weight against Scott seeking the comfort and warmth he offered. Apparently, that was all they needed as they instantly trusted at least Scott. 

“Hey, you want to go get changed?” Scott asked Theo, running a hand through his brother’s shaggy fur. Theo bumped his nose against Scott’s chin. The alpha smiled and rested his forehead against Theo’s for a moment. Then he was looking back at the twins. “Hey, uh, you guys mind if Liam takes Theo upstairs for a bit so he can change? I promise I’ll stay with you. Me and Lydia.” 

“Okay,” one of the girls answered, sending Theo one last look before clutching her twin’s hand tightly. Lydia shoved a bundle of fabrics in Liam’s hands that he barely had time to register as Theo’s clothes before said Theo was trotting up the stairs. 

Liam wasn’t even up the stairs before he heard the sounds of Theo shifting back to his human body. He barely crossed the top of the steps before he had his arms full of trembling chimera. Normally a naked Theo in his arms would be exciting but these were far from normal times. Now, he could only hold on, dropping the clothes to the floor as he held onto Theo. He trailed a hand over Theo's back. He pressed soft kisses against whatever skin he could reach from the confines of their tight embrace.

“Hey, you did good. You did so well, baby. It's okay. It's all okay.”

“Li.. something is happening to me.”

Liam pulled away, cupping the teary-eyed chimera’s cheeks gently. “I know. I know it's happening and I know it's scary. I'm scared for you. But Braeden is back. She's got the Doctors’ journals. Deaton and Morrell are going over them now. We're going to figure this out.” 

“The journals…” Theo trailed off, biting his lip. “So you think I'm supernatural too.” 

“Yeah. Yeah, I do,” Liam admitted. 

“Damn it. I was really hoping you weren’t going to say that,” Theo whined, burying his face in Liam's neck again. The beta snorted and continued rocking his boyfriend in his arms. 

“I know you're scared because I am too. But I think it's okay. I think that whatever is happening to you was meant to be. This is who you were supposed to be all along. And it's beautiful.”

“Yeah?” Theo asked voice muffled from where he was still hiding on Liam. 

“Yeah,” Liam said, firmly. Theo sighed heavily but Liam could feel the tension draining out of him as he did. “I’m going to be with you every step of the way. You’re not alone in this.” 

“I would totally kiss you right now. But I'm very naked and my very terrifying, overprotective, gun-toting, willing to drug everyone, and everything dad is right downstairs.” 

“Safe move!” Chris yelled up the stairs bringing a smile to both of their faces. 

Liam pulled back and retrieved the clothes he dropped. Between the two of them, Theo was dressed quickly. Liam would also note that it was entirely more fun to take Theo's clothes off but there was the fact that his father, brother, their friends, and two traumatized little girls were literally standing right under them. That definitely helped to kill the mood a bit. 

As soon as he was done putting his shoes back on, Theo was turning on his heels and heading back downstairs. Chris stopped him for a moment, pulling him in for a hug and helping him to further recenter before heading over to the twins. Liam stood next to Chris and accepted the hair ruffling with the expected feigned annoyance. Chris smirked at him. They turned back to watch Theo plopping down on the ground in front of the twins with his legs crossed. The girls regarded him curiously before clapping in delight. Theo laughed and held his arms open for them both to dive into his embrace. They sat on his lap, clearly trusting him implicitly. 

“Hey there, little ladies.” 

“You are a real boy!” 

Theo laughed again, his expression soft and fond. “Yes, I am. Lydia wasn't wrong. I'm a real boy. You already know that I'm Theo. What are your names?”

“I'm Gabriella,” the more talkative of the twins said. She was tugging at the string to his hood while her sister was examining Theo’s hand with a quiet yet adorable intensity. “That’s Isabella. She's my sister!”

“Is she now?” Theo asked, eyes narrowing. He made a show of looking both girls in the face before nodding slowly. “Yeah, I guess I kinda see the resemblance. A little bit.”

“We're twins!” Gabriella said with childish indignation in her voice. Theo feigned confusion until Isabella was giggling softly in his side. 

“Well, Gabriella and Isabella, meet my brother. This is Scott.”

“You don't look alike,” Isabella said, her tiny face pinched in confusion. 

Theo motioned for Scott to sit down next to them so that they weren't all looking up. The alpha did so immediately. The two girls tilted towards him but didn't stray away from Theo's arms. Liam could relate.

“Well, that's because I'm adopted. A few years ago, I was on my own but Scott took me in. He gave me a family. That's our dad over there. And we have a mom and another brother at home.” 

“Could we…” Isabella trailed off. “We're alone now. The bad people came and now everyone is gone.” 

“Were you living with your parents?”

“No, mommy died a long time ago,” Gabriella answered. “But her friend brought us here. We lived with Granny. But now she's gone too.” 

“I…” Scott started but closed his mouth just as quickly. He then looked up to Chris, who was watching them all with a soft look on his face. “They definitely can't stay here.”

“And we can't just put them in a regular foster home. They're banshees,” Mason chimed in. “It just makes sense to bring them back with us. But… where?”

“Well… mom did say next time bring her girls,” Theo shrugged. Scott's eyes widened before looking from the chimera to the two girls then to Chris. The former hunter shrugged. 

“None of you boys really live at home anymore. Alec is graduating soon and he's been dropping hints like anvils that he wants to move in with Lori, Hayden, and Nolan when he does. Your mom and I were actually a little sad about the empty nest but seems like we can put that off a little longer.” 

“Yeah?” Scott grinned. 

“Yeah.” 

“What does that mean?” Gabriella asked, tugging on Theo's hair to get his attention. He smiled down at her. 

“It means that you're coming home with us. You're going to be part of our family,” Scott said right before he had a twin in his arms, small arms winding around his neck in a hug. He chuckled returning the embrace for a moment before smoothly rising to his feet and adjusting Isabella’s weight in his arms to his hip. Theo did the same, throwing a smile in Liam's direction as he did. 

“Welp, time to go home and let Alec be the favorite child for a couple of days,” Theo said, as they finally made their way out of the house. 

“Bold of you to assume bringing home two children will make you any less the favorite,” Scott retorted. “You totally have permanent favorite child status.” 

“Dad? Is that true?”

“I can neither confirm nor deny that the position even exists much less which one of you has it,” Chris grinned. “But I can totally assure you that bringing home two children will definitely not knock you out of that position if it did exist.”

“I hate this family,” Theo muttered, burying his red face on Gabriella’s shoulder. The little girl patted him while giggling. Yeah, they were going to fit in just fine. 

Not that Liam was really worried about it but the twins settled into life with the McCall-Argent family like they had been there all along. With a bit of research, they were able to piece together their lives prior to living in Concordia. Their mother died during childbirth seven years ago and the father was never around, to begin with. A friend of their mother dropped the two girls in Concordia before taking off. She was an older werewolf with no children of her own and another friend of the family she raised the girls pretty much from birth. And then… well, she was gone too. So it didn't take much effort to get custody of the girls. 

Melissa took the new additions with the same grace and humor she did everything. And because she was their mother, she actually did thank Theo and Scott for finally bringing home girls before promptly scooping her new daughters up and taking them out of a girl's day with Jenna, Lydia and Peter's black credit card. Alec gave a token whining protest about no longer being the youngest before promptly vying to be their second favorite brother. Top honors, of course, went to Theo, who somehow was utterly amazed that the two girls he heard from practically two towns away and subsequently rescued from the burned down remains of their old home would adore him. The boy was pretty but so dumb. It was a good thing Liam was in this for the long haul because… Theo was so smart yet so dumb. 

Anyway, the point of all this was that despite Theo’s ongoing attempts to show just how dumb he was, Gabby and Izzy, as they insisted on being called after their first day in their new home, settled in just fine. Even Fiji liked them and Liam was convinced that his boyfriend's conspicuously never aging, hyper-protective cat didn't like anyone but Theo and Melissa because she fed her. But actually, that wasn't entirely true. Besides the twins, there was one other pack member she liked: Lydia. 

Liam kept that realization to himself, however. They had been back from their impromptu road trip to Concordia for a little over a month now and Deaton had been gone for almost that exact amount of time. The fact that he took Peter and Derek with him was also concerning. And the longer they were gone, the more Theo started to grow anxious about what was happening with him. Though he hadn't had any more visions since Concordia, it was something itching under his skin that was growing worse with every passing moment with no answers. 

And then finally, at last, they got the call they were waiting for: Deaton was back and wanted to meet with Theo and whoever else wanted to be there. He cautioned it wasn't probably a story for little ears, so Melissa thought it was best that the twins stay home. What followed was a hilarious argument over who would stay with them versus who would go with Theo to get answers that was only solved when Theo announced that Lydia picked the girls up ten minutes into the hour long argument. 

And so Theo along with Liam, Scott, Chris, Melissa, Alec, Mason, Corey, and Isaac met with Deaton, Peter, and Derek at the clinic to finally get some answers as to what was going on with Theo. Well, hopefully. This was Deaton they were dealing with. Liam really hoped they had some solid answers because he wasn't sure Theo could survive this limbo he was living in. Then again, given the nerves he could feel from Theo coupled with the almost painfully tight grip the chimera had on his hand, Liam wasn't entirely sure 

“Hey, before we go in there,” Scott started, just outside the doors to the clinic. “Nothing changes.” 

“Well something is going to change,” Theo retorted, looking down at the ground.

“We’re just going to find out the truth. But nothing else changes. You're still my family. You're still in the Pack. Nothing changes.”

Theo let out a soft breath and Liam could feel some of the tension fading. He squeezed his hand lightly and smiled feeling the pressure returned. And apparently that was all that needed to be said as they finally made their way inside. Deaton was at the front desk, looking over some paperwork and they could see Peter in the back, fiddling with the stuff Deaton usually told them they weren’t allowed to touch. Derek was sitting on the counter, shaking his head at his uncle. 

“Well, well, it’s about time you showed up.” 

“Peter, don’t start,” Chris warned. Peter’s eyes flashed and a dangerous smirk tugged at his lips. That is until Derek slapped him on the back of the head. Peter rubbed the sore spot, grumbling about being grossly misunderstood by this whole pack. 

“Do you see what I’ve had to deal with for the past few weeks?” Deaton asked as he strolled into the room, carrying a few of the books they knew belonged to the Doctors as well as a few other ones. 

“I weep for your lost sanity,” Theo murmured. He swallowed. “So… you know?” 

“Yeah, we have a pretty good idea. That’s what took me so long. I had to do a lot of research into separating fact from fiction. And then there was the issue of your parents. Sorry for the delay. But we know what’s going on with you.” 

“Right,” Theo sighed, his hands fidgeting slightly. “So what’s…. What am I?” 

Deaton gave him a small smile. “You’re something incredible. Like we all knew you were. You’re something very rare. But in retrospect given your connection with another member of the pack, it makes perfect sense.” 

“Huh? Connection, like the thing I have with Liam?” 

“No, but I have some theories about that as well we can explore at another time,” Deaton grinned. “How much do you know about the fae?” 

“Fae… like fairies?!” Alec squeaked. “You’re saying Theo is a fairy?!” 

“Not now, Alec,” Melissa grumbled. 

“Nope,” Theo said, shaking his head. “I’m with the brat. I’m a fairy?! Like Tinkerbell fairy? Like 'it's dangerous to go alone’ fairies?!” 

Deaton laughed. “Not exactly. The fae is a large classification of supernatural. You’re a member of the fae but you are not the only one. Counting you, we actually have five now.” 

Liam groaned. “I’m an idiot. Banshee literally means woman of the fairy mound! Lydia and the twins are fae as well?” 

“Yes. I knew you would catch on,” Deaton nodded in his direction. “Lydia is indeed a member of the fae and she is a death omen in Irish and Scottish cultures. And so are you, Theo. The Doctors were only able to make you into a chimera because they had a supernatural base to work with. You’re a black dog.” 

“What the hell is a black dog?” Isaac asked, seemingly against his will. “Why have we never heard of this before?”

“They are incredibly rare. So rare people just thought they were myths.” 

“Black dogs are usually considered spirits,” Liam picked up, sensing the growing confusion. “There have been stories throughout the ages of dogs that usher people to the next life or are guardians of death. They’re… death omens. It’s actually a myth pretty interchangeable throughout history with hellhounds but different enough as we currently have a hellhound on the team.” 

“But they told me I was a werewolf and werecoyote,” Theo said, biting his lip. His hands flexed at his sides before he shoved them in his pockets. “So what part of that is wrong?” 

“You do have some coyote genetics courtesy of their experiments with but you’re a black dog/werewolf hybrid and not because of the Doctors,” Deaton sighed. “It’s because you already had the dormant werewolf genes that were just kickstarted by having the heart of a wolf.” 

“The heart….” Theo trailed off as his hand reached up to cover the rapidly beating organ. His eyes were glassy. “Tara? Tara was…. She wasn’t a wolf. Because that would mean… wait, our parents?”

“According to all the records that we were able to gather,” Deaton started, indicating the massive piles of books and charts gathered in the room. “It was your mother who was the carrier at least of the black dog genes. Your father was a werewolf. Somehow the wolf genes passed you. Because from what I’ve read black dogs are almost always male. I believe that your black dog genetics pushed the wolf to the side.” 

“So my dad and Tara… they were werewolves?” 

“And they were just living in Beacon Hills?” Scott asked, shooting a concerned look at Theo. “This is Hale territory. I can’t believe that Theo’s dad was part of the Hale pack and we just never knew.” 

“That’s because he wasn’t,” Peter said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Theo’s sperm donor was an omega. He left his pack… that’s not quite right. He was forced out of his pack after he killed the brother of his former alpha. He fled. Somewhere along the way, he got married and by the time they settled in Beacon Hills, they already had Tara and were expecting Theo. Talia wouldn’t allow him to be part of the pack but she had always had a soft spot for children. So she offered her protection.” 

“You… you met my parents?”

“I didn't recognize the name at first. But when Alan showed me a picture of your father, I remembered. He was an awful man. Talia sensed it too. But your mother… she didn't appear to be supernatural but I see now that she was the carrier of the black dog. She was fascinating. So Talia granted her, and your father, protection. And it appears they changed their name upon settling in town. Probably better to hide from his old pack.” 

Theo ran a hand through his hair, settling against the exam table. Liam could see his hand trembling but he didn't appear to want physical contact at the moment. Liam could respect that. For now. 

“If I was… I am supernatural… why was I so sick as a child? I had a heart condition. They said… they told me I wasn't going to live past ten. Fifteen if I was lucky. How could I…? Supernaturals don't get sick like that.” 

Deaton pushed one of the books over. “This is everything I could find on black dogs. But to answer your question now… there's a reason black dogs are rare, Theo. They're only passed down to males. And only a few survive childhood. They don't access their supernatural abilities until adulthood.”

“And mostly all cultures agree that twenty-one is a mark of adulthood,” Liam finished, looking at his boyfriend. He could almost hear the gears whirring in his brain. 

“If the Doctors didn't give me Tara's heart, I probably would've died,” Theo whispered, his hand clutching his chest. “This is all my fault. She should be here. She shouldn't… this is my fault.” 

“Theo, no,” Melissa crooned, crossing the room to stand in front of the very miserable chimera. “None of this is your fault. We've had this talk before and I'll have it as many times as it takes. It wasn't your fault what happened with the Dread Doctors. It wasn't your fault they targeted you or Tara. The only thing you did was survive and I know you feel otherwise but I can never be mad about that.” 

“Mom…” Theo trailed off, voice cracking in a heartbreaking way. Melissa nodded and pulled him into her arms. 

“I know, baby. I know,” Melissa crooned, rocking the man in her arms. It never ceased to amuse or comfort Liam that no matter how muscular Theo got, he folded perfectly into Melissa's arms whenever he allowed himself that comfort.

There would be more breakdowns in the future, Liam already knew. There were a lot of terrible things left unsaid. a lot about Theo's life that would need to be addressed and explored. Especially given that apparently Jonathan Raeken was a werewolf and one that habitually beat his own son because he somehow wasn't. Liam has never regretted that Theo’s waste of flesh biological parents were dead before but he wished they were alive so he could punch them both in the face. They also had to face the messy truth that the Doctors saved Theo's life, in the worst way possible. 

For now, Melissa seemed to help put the worst of it away. None of them missed how his hand strayed to his chest every so often but he seemed stable enough when he pulled away from Melissa. At some point, Chris slid over to the pair and slung an arm around Theo, pulling him into an one-armed embrace. Theo rested against his father with a quiet sigh, closing his eyes, content to let the conversation flow around him. 

“So…” Alec started, eyeing his brother with concern. “Theo is a full-blown supernatural now? With all the perks?” 

“I'm guessing that might be so,” Deaton nodded. “It seems that with the activation of his black dog abilities, his werewolf side probably fully kicked in.” 

“Wait,” Theo murmured, opening his eyes and visibly tuning in. His brow adorably pinched as he tried to puzzle something out. “Does that mean I can't manipulate mountain ash anymore?” 

“Really, dude?!” Corey asked with wide eyes. “You just find out some truly life-altering shit and you're concerned with mountain ash?!” 

“It's a valid concern,” Theo replied pointedly. “This pack has an unnatural obsession with finding people that use it against us.” 

“He has a point,” Mason chimed in. Corey threw him a dirty look. 

Deaton laughed at their antics before placing a jar full of mountain ash on the exam table in front of Theo. 

“I had a feeling you would think about that.”

Theo eyed the jar with some apprehension but not enough. Liam cursed that he was not standing immediately next to the idiot because he saw where this was going and… 

“Theo, do not just…” Melissa's sentence ended up abruptly as she watched her idiot son do exactly what she was warning him not to do. “You just stuck your hand in a jar of something that could potentially hurt you!” 

She reached forward and yanked his arm out of the jar. Liam tensed, waiting to see horribly deformed skin. He's had damage to his skin from direct contact with mountain ash. It wasn't pleasant. He wouldn't wish that on anyone. And apparently, Theo would never know that pain as his hand remained unblemished and clear. 

“Weird,” Mason said, already reaching for Theo's hand. He turned it over with a look of excitement that rivaled Theo's. Oh, no. They were both about to go full nerd. “So you can touch it but I wonder if you can be trapped in it.” 

Theo nodded, sticking his hand in the jar and throwing a handful of the black dust in the air. It formed a perfect circle around him, Chris, Melissa, and Mason. He raised a hand to touch the perimeter of the circle and found nothing blocking his way. He stepped over the line with no problems. 

“Guess I can still be one of our go-to mountain ash guys,” Theo shrugged. That is before another handful of dust landed around him. He turned to give his father a curious look. “What was that for? We already established that…” 

They would never find out what they already established because just as Theo tried to step outside of the new trap, he bounced back with a jolt. His eyes were wide as he turned to Scott and Liam. 

“Okay, what the hell?! That hurts! I've literally seen you guys run at a barrier several times in a row. Like why? That really hurts! Why are you the way that you are?!” 

“Fascinating!” Deaton said, coming to a stop before the disgruntled chimera. “So you can still wield it but if it's used against you as a trap, you're stuck.” 

“So far twenty-one is shaping up to be a terrible year,” Theo grumbled. “Someone wanna let me out or…?” 

Chris snickered and smudged the line with his boot. Theo moved away from him, choosing to wiggle his way in between Scott and Alec. Liam knew his boyfriend was not in the right frame of mind. That's the only reason he would think he was safe next to his brothers. Especially Alec who had been eyeing the chimera with a curious look in his eye. A look that grew in intensity as he touched one of the bracelets on his arm. 

“Alec,” Liam hummed as a warning. He narrowed his eyes when the little jerk only smirked before pressing his wrist against his brother’s arm. Liam winced at the sharp pain Theo felt in that moment. “What the hell was that?!” 

“So I was wondering if Theo was going to be affected by iron. You know since he's a fairy. Turns out he is!” Alec grinned before finally registering his brother’s face. “Oh, now is the part where I run, huh?” 

“Yup!” Theo agreed, politely giving him a head start of exactly five seconds before chasing after him with murder radiating from his entire being. 

“So, to recap,” Mason started. “Theo is okay. He’s basically Sirius Black from Harry Potter and definitely on Team Death Omen?” 

“Yes,” Deaton nodded. 

“Awesome. Well, I got twenty bucks that says he lets Alec go.” 

“Thirty that he only lets him think he let him go but he breaks the runt’s leg,” Isaac chimed in. Mason paused, thinking appreciatively. 

“Forty that he breaks Alec’s leg and Scott tries to lecture them on the ‘right way to act’ and then he cries because he made them feel bad.” 

“That’s easy, Scott cries all the time.” 

“Literally standing right here,” Scott murmured. His eyes flashed red as he heard something from outside. They all winced at Alec’s yelp of pain followed by Theo’s maniacal laughter. 

Melissa shook her head, already grabbing a first aid kit. “Twenty-three, twenty-one and eighteen and yet my six-year-olds act better than them,” she grumbled, stalking out the clinic with a pouting Scott and grinning Mason, Corey, and Isaac with her. 

Liam followed at a leisurely pace. He knew this wasn’t anything that really needed him. Theo was just blowing off steam and Alec was giving him the outlet. There would be a time in the future to explore just what being a black dog meant for Theo. But for right now, he could torture his idiot brother and be a goofy young man. at least just for a bit. The universe definitely owed him at least that much. 

Chris snorted as his girlfriend chastised their children with a voice full of humor and exasperation. Normally he would be right there with her, adding silently disappointed yet amused looks but that would have to wait. Right now, he was busy staring down the trio that somehow genuinely thought he wasn't going to notice how they were intentionally glossing over some details of the story.

Oh, sure they told a pretty comprehensive tale but Chris was a hunter. And he was a father. He's raised four teenagers at this point. He can spot a half-truth a mile away. And he had a feeling he knew what part was just conveniently left out. 

“So what about Theo's dad did you not want the kid to know about?” Chris asked, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Peter glared in his direction before pulling out his wallet. He fished out what appeared to be two $50 bills and grudgingly handed one to a smug Deaton and Derek. He then glared at Chris again. 

“I'm glad you're on our side, your overly observant predictable money costing bastard.” Chris nodded with a smirk. “Right. So the part that we left out is that… this is awkward. Derek?”

The younger man rolled his eyes heavenward before letting his gaze drift to meet Chris’s. “Theo told us that his parents were killed by the Dread Doctors. But it just didn't sit right after everything we learned. And that's because they didn't.”

“They didn't what?”

“The Dread Doctors didn't kill Theo's parents. The bastards skipped town just after Tara died.”

“You're telling me those bastards were alive and could've saved their son but didn't?” 

“Yes. And I'm also telling you that they were not only alive but they knew about the Doctors. They thought the Doctor would take Theo. And when their precious daughter was killed instead, they cleared town and ran again.” 

“Are they?” 

“Still alive?” Peter asked. He pursed his lips. “Most likely. But that's the least of our concerns.”

“The alpha’s brother,” Chris said. 

“The alpha’s brother,” Derek nodded. “I'm worried that us asking so many questions about the Raekens might have stirred up something.”

“You think the alpha might come to Beacon Hills to get revenge for his brother,” Chris concluded. Derek’s lip twitched. “You think he's going to come here and get revenge by hurting Theo.”

“It's a concern,” Derek shrugged. “I don't know if it's going to happen or not but I just want us to be on guard. The kid has been through enough in his life. He doesn't need his sperm donor messing everything up.” 

Chris nodded but said nothing more. They were right. His kid had been through enough and didn't need this stress in his life. Yet that's all that's been happening to him since well since they've known him. Between the Dread Doctors, Hell, Adam and now this, Theo has officially seen more horror than any twenty-one-year-old should. The fact that he wasn't foaming at the mouth crazy was kind of a miracle. 

He heard them calling his name and thanked the three men for everything. Deaton reminded them that the books were there and Theo was welcome to come by anytime during the summer to look through them. Chris nodded again and walked out of the clinic deep in thought. Derek was right. Them asking questions might have stirred something up. But it was better than not knowing. Now they knew what Theo was and they could at least help him cope with that. If someone was really after Theo because of the sins of his former father, they would handle that too. 

“Dad, you okay?” 

He startled looking down to meet warm hazel eyes of the one occupying his thoughts. His brow was furrowed but a small smile still lingered on his lips. It never ceased to amuse or amaze Chris that close to five years ago, when he first met Theo, he hated him. He hated what he did at least. Back then he could never imagine being on the same side as Theo much less being his father. But now he couldn't imagine not having the young man in his life. 

“Dad?” 

“Yeah, no. I’m good. I'm okay.”

Theo bit his lip. “They told you more stuff, didn't they?”

“Yeah, kiddo, they did.” Chris sighed, ruffling his son’s hair. “But it's nothing we can't handle if it does become a problem. And that's a big if. So don't let it bother you. We’ll talk about it later. For now, let's get some pizza, ice cream, and indoctrinate your sisters on movie nights with the pack.” 

Theo's eyes brightened even as a beaming smile spread across his face. Chris felt himself smiling in response. This kid only knew darkness and pain until he was pulled from hell by one of the people that put him there. It took a lot of time and trust to get to the place they were in. But it was worth it. God, it was so worth it. He had once thrown his entire legacy away in pursuit of those who wronged his kids and he would give so much more. For them and for all of his children, the twins included because they were his the minute they smiled in delight at Theo’s human form. He really was getting soft in his old age. 

Chris slung an arm around his kid once again and led him towards where the others were waiting. Where his family was waiting. He thought he buried the idea of a family with Allison and Victoria. But now he knew better. Now he had Melissa and their ever-growing circus act of children. Three sons and two daughters. But Chris wouldn't trade any of them for anything in the world. They were imperfectly perfect and he would do everything in his power to protect them. Even from each other…

“You know you're grounded for breaking your brother, right?”

Theo snorted, not even bothering to point out that he was an adult and clearly didn't live with his parents anymore. Instead, he smirked up at Chris with that shit-eating smug look Chris used to hate before but now filled him with a strange sense of pride. 

“Yeah, totally worth it.” 

God, he loved this kid.