Archive of Our Own

I hope you know how proud I am you were created

With the courage to unlearn all of their hatred

—

Theo had lost track of how long he’d been here, in the small, windowless room. Wolfsbane and electricity coursed through his body, and the overly sweet scent of wolfsbane incense permeated the air, making it known that he was running out of time with every wheeze of his lungs. 

Was this how Scott had felt with his asthma? Theo recoiled at the thought. It had been so long since he’d had something actually medically wrong with his body, he couldn’t think of how it would be for his lungs to not support him in the way his heart once didn’t.

“Ready to talk, Theo?” Monroe, biding her time on the other side of the room, finally spoke. All her question brought was a roll of eyes from the chimera and the light bulb hanging feet away from Theo gave him a clear view of the smirk that overtook her face at the gesture. 

“Silent still? All for a pack who hasn’t even tried to get you back. Think about it, Theo, how long have you been gone?” He didn’t know the answer to that question. He tried to track the days by what new tactics they used to make him talk, but for all he knew they were using multiple in a day. Having no windows was severely messing with his sense of time. 

“Well, if you’re not even going to guess I’ll just leave it to your imagination.” She walked over to him with her newest torture device, a giant syringe with wolfsbane that she would jab into various parts of his body at random during their one-sided conversation.

She went for his right leg first, letting half of the poison go before she stepped back to admire her work. Theo barely reacted to the sting of the needle or the poison spreading through his body, instead, he focused on the psycho in front of him and what she could do next. 

Not like he could do much if she did anything else, his arms bound above his head with the wolfsbane-laced rope cutting into his wrists, his ankles, and waist tied back against the electric fence and keeping his body in contact with as much electricity as possible. 

“C’mon, Theo, I know that look. I’ve become acquainted with your ‘Monroe’s a psycho’ look during your stay. Just tell me what I want to know and maybe you’ll actually get to walk away from this.” 

“And who’s to say you won’t kill me once you have your information?” His throat was dry from disuse, but Monroe still cracked a smile. “Complete genocide of supernaturals, right? I think I fall on that list, and I don’t see why you’d need to keep me alive once you have what you need.”

“You’re good, I’ll give you that. Those Doctors must have really trained you well, to withstand torture the way you have, to understand how things work.” Theo raised an eyebrow, unimpressed, and she continued. “I mean, it’s true. I did plan to kill you once you told me where the McCall Pack was, but now… Theo, we could be allies!” 

Allies . If he didn’t have the most frustrating relationship with that word. He wasn’t part of the McCall Pack, they held no loyalty to him and vice versa, but they called him an ally, someone they could count on to be on their side when it counted. Now Monroe wanted Theo to be her ally in the war against his own kind, ensuring the destruction of the McCall Pack and probably every other supernatural. 

“I’m not exactly the prime ally for any situation. Last time I played that role I killed your little fear monster and sent most of your hunters running for their mommies.” Monroe’s face darkened as she approached with confident steps, stopping when she was barely a hair's breadth away. 

“Shame, I had a bet going you would turn on them. That costs me fifty bucks,” she snarled before depositing the rest of the syringed wolfsbane into his neck, effectively knocking him out.

—

“Theo, Theo, Theo… what am I going to do with you?” Theo really didn’t know how long he’d been gone now, but he knew it was long enough to have turned over every stone in Beacon Hills, which meant he was being kept out of town. Or you’re in Beacon Hills and the pack just isn’t looking for you . 

He hated the voice that had shown up earlier. It was familiar in a way he didn’t want to think about, didn’t want to think of the last words he’d heard the actual owner of the voice say to him. Theo, please, Theo! 

“Do you know how annoying it is to go through all the trouble of taking you and the pack not even realizing it? I mean, the least they could do would be to question if something’s wrong, but—I see the confusion on your face, honey, have I not mentioned it?” She pouted at his expression, his brain slowly becoming fuddled by the electricity and wolfsbane. “They think you finally skipped town, decided to high-tail it out of that shithole. I mean, I don’t blame fake-you for taking that route but obviously… you’re here.” 

Left town? But… Liam… no, Liam would know better. Wouldn’t he?

“I trailed that traitor, Nolan, since he’s the only one stupid enough to not see us coming. He was meeting with the whole little group, Liam, Mason, Corey, and they talked about how you just left without saying goodbye. Sounded pretty bored from what was gathered, like you were an afterthought.” 

Theo’s brain buzzed, something about the statement not seeming right, but he was so tired he couldn’t piece together half the words Monroe had even said. Why was Nolan only with those three? Where were Brett, Lori, and Alec if they weren’t here with him and weren’t with the pack? 

It clicked hours later when Theo was alone, that Monroe didn’t know the Talbot siblings had survived, didn’t know about Alec because Scott, Melissa, and Chris were keeping the kid under lock and key unless he was with the whole puppy pack. She wouldn’t have known to name them as part of the pack, they didn’t exist to her, and that meant they knew Theo hadn’t left willingly. So he’d just have to keep fighting. 

And fight he did.

The next person that came in wasn’t actually Monroe, and they were stupid enough to get close to him when they were cranking up the electricity so he broke their nose. The dude was so pissed he actually took the crowbar on the tools table and snapped the bone in his left forearm before Monroe entered with a snarl on her face and told the no-name to get the hell out. 

“Your men have orders or something that I’m your project only?” Theo smirked, ignoring the searing pain in his arm, watching a challenge light up in Monroe’s eyes. “I mean, you’re the only one who comes in here, so you must want me all to yourself.” 

“I want the information you have, Theo. Honestly, I’m reaching my breaking point with you, and I had a revelation last night. You won’t tell me anything because you don’t know anything, do you, Theo? You said it yourself, you aren’t pack, you’re just an ally. They wouldn’t trust you with such important information, because you would sell them out the moment you got the chance.” 

Theo was confused, what kind of reverse psychology was Monroe pulling here? If he said anything it would give away that yes , he did know where the McCall safehouse was, but if he said no, well she’d probably put a bullet in his head. 

“Unfortunately, this means you’re of no use to me, honey. I see Patrick already did a number on your arm, does that hurt with it not healing and all?” It hurt like a bitch, but she didn’t really need to know that. All though, Theo was sure that the bone had snapped in half, and the awkward position he was in with his arms raised above his head meant one piece was being pulled up with his wrist and the other was being pulled down with his elbow by gravity. 

“I’ve been through worse.” Is what he wound up saying after an uncomfortably long silence between captor and captive. 

She gave a faux-sympathetic smile that didn’t reach her eyes as she walked over to the table littered with tools. “I’m sure you have. I can’t imagine the Doctors believed in things like anesthetic before operations.” Her fingers drifted over a couple of things before landing on a small capsule and picking it up.

The closer she walked the more familiar the smell of the capsule became to him, and for the first time since being in that room, Theo was truly scared. 

“Mercury,” Monroe said as she stopped directly in front of him a foot away. She shook the capsule for emphasis and watched the way Theo’s eyes tracked the small object. “From what I’ve gathered, the Doctors made chimeras through some kind of mercury transfusion? Well, if you turned out to be a failure they would flood your entire bloodstream with mercury, too, instant mercury poisoning.” 

She walked a little closer and Theo’s eyes narrowed in disdain. “But you, Theo, the first chimera, the one that didn’t fail, you didn’t even have to be terminated, right? I mean, even Corey and Hayden were terminated and you just brought them back to life.” The smile dropped off her face in an instant as cold fingers came to grip Theo’s jaw in a vice grip. 

“Do you want to know what it’s like?” Theo snarled at her, mouth staying resolutely shut as she inched the offending capsule closer to his lips. At the last second she drew back, not far, but enough to where Theo didn’t feel it brush his lips every time he breathed. 

“I’m feeling generous, Theo. And you should take the offer I’m about to give you because I don’t feel generous often. I’m going to give you one last chance to save yourself, to be selfish like you used to be. Howl for them, see if they hear you, and come running. You’ll lead them into a slaughter but hey, maybe one of them will get you out of here.”

Could Theo lead them here without knowing how well-guarded this place was? Could he send them straight into a trap without at least giving himself a fighting chance? 

“I see you still need some time to think about it, no worries. You asked me if I was keeping you to myself, and you know, I’ve been the selfish one. Perhaps Patrick and Olly can speed up your thinking process.” As she said this, two men, one of them the guy from before who’d broken his arm, came into the room. She looked at Theo for one last moment before making her way to the door, “Don’t stop ‘till he howls, boys.” 

Theo had survived worse, Theo had survived worse, survivedworsesurvivedworse… in the end he was just a boy who’d been manipulated by psychopathic doctors, a boy dragged to hell by a sister who wanted her stolen heart back, he was Theo Raeken, the boy who howled for a pack and prayed to a God he didn’t believe in that someone would hear him.

—

“—eo! Theo, wake up! Please wake up!” Theo faintly registered the fact he knew the voice coming from above him before a harsh slap was coming down on his cheek. “Malia! He’s already awake, what was that for?” 

“For getting himself kidnapped in another town for two weeks, Liam. The kid's gotta have more sense than that. Why’d he not howl sooner, or literally do anything?” The coyote and wolf inside him both tried to take the front with the presence of Malia and Liam . 

“You came for me,” he whispered, this weak, slurred thought that had somehow found its way out of his mouth. Liam, the voice above him, pulled his attention away from Malia and back to Theo, sweeping gentle fingers through his hair and taking pain as he went. 

“Of course we did, Theo. That was never in doubt that we would. You’re pack, so don’t go pulling that shit again.” Theo smiled and tried to nod but Liam was so warm, and Theo was pretty sure they were driving, so he didn’t remember falling asleep. 

—

“Don’t crowd him, guys!” 

“Tell that to Liam.” 

“Piss off, Brett.” 

Theo cracked open an eye and found himself in the living room of the McCall house. His head was draped in Liam’s lap and had he any ounce of energy in his body he would have had the decency to be embarrassed. The puppy pack was gathered in disarray in front of the couch where Theo laid, and the older pack was occupying the chairs behind them, somewhat taking the advice of whoever had told them to give him space. 

“That was fun, want to do it next week, guys?” He croaked, gaining the attention of the pack and Liam who grabbed his face and turned him as if inspecting him for injuries. 

“You call that fun , asshole? Try terrifying. Monroe wouldn’t fess up to having you so we were under the assumption rogue hunters had dumped your body over the state line. We searched three towns, Theo. Three . And came up empty.” Theo let Liam vent, understanding this had probably been a stressful situation for the young beta. 

Theo had been on patrol when he was taken, he learned that they knew he was gone before his patrol shift would have even been over. 

“Turns out your incessant need to reply to Liam at all costs tipped us off to something being wrong. Since you, well, didn’t reply after… how many texts was it, Liam?” Stiles said with a slight smirk and Liam glared in the human’s direction. 

“Seventy-four.” 

“Right, so seventy-four unread texts later, and Liam has all of us on a group call talking about how you’re ‘obviously missing’ and ‘no Stiles, he didn’t fall asleep on patrol like Scott and Allison did that one time they were watching Jackson.’ So we all made our way here and started digging.” 

Theo’s eyes flick over to the kitchen where he hears more heartbeats than just Melissa’s and Chris’ and his eyes turn back to Stiles in question. 

“When I say all of us, I mean all of us. We didn’t know if this was Monroe’s phase two, or what her endgame with you was, so we figured getting our Europe-bound werewolves out of, well, Europe, was a good idea.” 

Jackson and Ethan walked in from the kitchen, half oblivious to the conversation happening feet away from them, but they both nodded at Theo in acknowledgment that he was alive. The other werewolf was one he’d only read up on for the sake of the Dread Doctors requiring him to know every detail of the McCall Pack before they came to Beacon Hills. 

“Isaac Lahey, we finally meet.” The blond werewolf had been in France undercover for Chris since Allison Argent’s death a couple of years prior. Last Theo heard, he’d had no intention of ever returning to Beacon Hills, news that Scott didn’t take all that well. 

“Theo Raeken, I’ve heard a lot since you went missing.” Theo scoffed and finally sat up from Liam’s lap, ignoring the other wolf’s whine at the action. 

“All good things, I’m sure. I hate to say it, but I’ve probably got you beat between us on who knows more about the other.” Isaac gave a dramatic sigh, accompanied by a slight grin, as he took a seat beside Scott. Theo was surprised for a moment that Malia didn’t completely lash out at the boy but it clicked what had obviously happened in the time Theo had been gone, so good for them. 

“We’re all just really happy you’re okay, Theo,” Scott spoke up, drawing Theo’s attention from the newcomer at his side to the saccharine sweet gaze that always accompanied Scott.

“What happened with Monroe?” Theo asked instead of giving thanks, trying to gauge how much they’d truly accomplished on their rescue mission. 

“I’ll tell you, Theo, we were two towns over from where you were and we still heard you howl. Monroe must have not been banking on the whole pack hearing you, 'cause we rolled up in four cars and ran the place through.”

“That still doesn’t answer my question, Mason.” 

“The bitch is dead, you think we’d let her leave after pulling something like this? Not again.” That was Corey that had spoken, a scoff in his voice as he said the words, and Theo felt a grim satisfaction spread through him. 

“Who did it?” Theo turned his attention to Liam for that question, half-afraid of what the answer could be, but Liam was cut off as he looked over at Chris and Melissa who’d finally entered the room. 

“Kid can shoot, I’ll give him that,” Argent said as he tipped his glass in the direction of Nolan, who blushed under the praise. 

“Lucky shot, I guess.” 

“Kid, you put one through her brachial artery, if that was a lucky shot then I’m a banshee.” 

“We can test that theory,” Peter’s voice drifted from where he had slumped over on the far side of the room, Derek occupying the chair beside him. They hadn’t been kidding when they said everyone was together. 

“I’d rather not, I’ll leave that to Lydia.” 

Lydia and Parrish had been standing beside Stiles, and once the attention was on her she swooped over and gathered Theo up for a hug. 

“Just don’t forget you’re wanted, Theo. We want you to be here. And I never doubted you were alive for a second.” 

—

That night everyone was making it work at the McCall house. Everyone had refused to leave, the presence of the pack comforting to even the humans. Theo had been offered the guest bedroom, since his arm was still healing, and the couch or floor wasn’t going to help with that. Liam trailed after him and no one made any move to stop him. 

Now Liam and Theo laid in the bed facing each other, breathing in the same air and soaking in each other’s presence. He’d thought of Liam in those dark moments with Monroe, where he wasn’t sure he was going to be leaving that windowless room. But did Liam feel the same? How did he even feel? 

Liam brought up his uninjured arm, rubbing his thumb over Theo’s knuckles before bringing the hand to his lips. It was featherlight, and Theo could barely even feel it, but he was watching it happen, so he knew it happened. 

“I’m so glad you’re alive, Theo. I don’t know what I would have done if you—” Liam cut off with a sharp breath and Theo gathered him closer, hooking his chin over Liam’s head.

“I’m okay, you found me.” 

“I found you,” his grip tightened on Theo’s hand and his eyes flashed for a moment, Theo’s lighting in response. “I’ll always find you.”

It could have been hours, or minutes later but Theo was throwing the covers off the bed and heading to the bathroom before he even processed the motion. He heard Liam stir behind him, practically thrown from the bed in all the commotion, but Theo couldn’t think about that quite yet. 

His knees cracked painfully against the tile flooring and he emptied his stomach, the little soup Melissa had tried to feed him coming back up. He knew this was normal, after being starved for so long his body just wasn’t ready for food, this was something he could handle. 

As he moved to flush the mess away a glint caught his eye and he froze, faintly registering Liam’s sleep-heavy steps approaching him. He quickly flushed the mess away and willed away the image of mercury-soaked vomit as Liam reached the doorframe.

“You okay?” Theo nodded, not trusting there wouldn’t be mercury visible in his mouth, not that Liam would be paying enough attention to his mouth to see it. 

“Food was too much?” Theo nodded again and Liam hummed as he came and sat beside Theo. He leaned heavily on the chimera, and in a move that he’d apparently inherited from Scott over these past couple of months, pulled away as black lines slithered up his cheek. 

“You’re in pain.” It wasn’t a question, Theo was obviously in pain because Liam had just taken pain from him. 

“It’s not bad, it’s just nausea.” Liam didn’t seem convinced and he opened his mouth to comment further when his phone rang from the other room. His brows furrowed as he stood and made his way to the door, passing Tara’s silhouette that had suddenly appeared in the doorway. 

Theo felt as another wave of nausea gripped him and his head spun violently before he threw up again, this time all silver substance. Tara watched from the door, biding her time for when she would take him to hell once more.

“Theo?” Liam’s voice sounded just on the edge of panicked when he reemerged in the doorframe, knocking Tara from view for a moment before she reappeared next to him in the bathroom. “Why is Hayden calling saying that you’re dying?” 

Dammit, Romero. He broke his gaze from where Tara was and turned his attention on Liam’s panicked face, phone gripped so tight he was obviously seconds from breaking it.

“We might have an issue.” 

—

“So you mean to tell me that Monroe had this mercury capsule she was dancing around with and threatening to make you eat and you just forgot to mention it?”  Stiles said after the pack had gathered back in the living room five hours after going to sleep. Corey had arrived at their door moments after Hayden’s call ended with an ‘I’m on my way,’ convinced in the same way Hayden was that something was wrong with Theo. Of course, this had made Liam panic even more and the way his chemosignals and heart rate had spiraled so fast had alerted half of the pack that something wasn’t right in the house.

“I don’t remember her giving it to me! She put the stupid thing down before she left me with Dumb and Dumber, and they just decided that beating my broken arm with a crowbar would get me to howl for you guys faster.”

“Theo, are you sure she put it down when she left?” No, Theo wasn’t sure about anything that had happened during his visit with Monroe. Hours felt like minutes and days were hours and he was not okay. “Could she have put it in the IV with the wolfsbane?” 

“I would have seen her get close enough to do that. She could have done it while I was unconscious. I was out cold after I howled for you guys until that brief moment in the car with Liam and Malia.” 

Some of the pack shared confused looks and he looked back at them with one of his own. 

“What, what am I missing here?” Liam scooted a fraction of an inch closer and that didn’t make Theo feel any better. 

“You were awake when we found you, Theo. Don’t you remember?” No, Theo didn’t remember being awake when he was rescued. He barely remembered howling for the pack so he doesn’t see how he could’ve been conscious that whole time.

“Maybe you’re repressing the memories?” Lydia said, looking to Parrish for confirmation that repressed memories could be in play. He shrugged, not exactly recalling the rescue mission himself since he was in ‘hellhound mode.’ 

“I don’t know what I would need to repress that’s so much worse than the whole thing,” Theo said. Derek and Isaac shared their own glance and Theo was becoming ticked off for having missed the major switches in dynamics during his absence. 

“It’s the same thing as when the Alpha Pack came to town and I found Erica, Boyd, and Cora. I remembered Braeden rescuing me and I knew that I’d been somewhere important, but I didn’t actually remember I’d found them or where I was,” Isaac finally said. 

“How’d you remember you found them?” Theo asked, wondering if this had been in the Doctor’s reports that he’d skimmed through. 

“It wasn’t fun, I’ll tell you that.” Theo gave him an unimpressed look and Isaac sighed. “Deaton made Scott and Derek hold me underwater in an ice bath until my heart almost stopped.”

Tara had gathered with the rest of the pack, her mostly transparent figure seated on the table in front of Theo. At the mention of freezing water and stopping hearts, she gave a cruel smirk in his direction that Theo pointedly ignored. 

“Do you think there are any other options?” Liam slid his pinky over Theo’s hand at the painful jump his heart gave. Theo spared him a glance before his gaze hooked on Tara again. She gave a sharp grin that pulled back the waterlogged skin of her lips and revealed rotted teeth. Water spilled from between her parted lips and Theo swallowed thickly before turning away. 

“We could always go into your memories.” Scott gave an apprehensive look at his hand, and Corey subconsciously rubbed the back of his neck. And sure, that was an option, have Scott or some other member of the pack go surfing through his memories to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything else from his time with Monroe, but he wasn’t exactly thrilled at that idea. 

“Your claws, near my neck? I’ll pass.” Theo shifted, crossing his arms and Liam retracted his hand from where it had laid beside him. 

Malia growled slightly at the disobedience, “It’s the claws or the tub, your choice.” And really, when she put it that way, the claws didn’t sound so bad. 

Theo rolled his eyes and looked over at Liam, who only silently stared back. “Fine, Scott can do the whole memory surfing thing.” Scott just gave a slight grin back at Theo, who hadn’t bothered to take his eyes off Liam.

“You’ll need to take someone in with you, and I’ll tether you together.” No one jumped at the opportunity, Theo didn’t blame them. He didn’t know if he’d actually wake up in the right place or if they’d have to take a trip down memory lane.

“Let’s get this over with,” Liam said from his side. Theo’s eyes widened a fraction but Liam just shrugged. “I might get the chance to break your nose again, I’m not missing it.” Theo knew he was saying that for the pack’s sake, the mirth evident in his eyes being his most obvious clue.

Brett and Lori grabbed two stools from the kitchen and brought them to the living room a moment later. Scott stood behind them as they both took a seat. Liam instinctually sought out Theo’s hand and Theo, without thinking, hooked his pinky around Liam’s. 

He glared at the pack, daring them to say something, but no one did, the atmosphere too tense for light teasing. Theo’s senses tuned in to Scott’s claws coming out and before he could even think to back out they were embedded in his neck.

—

They were definitely not in the warehouse Monroe had been keeping him. The thick scent of antiseptic and death invaded Theo’s nose and he scrambled to get out of the morgue locker on instinct. Liam banged on the drawer next to him and he released the latch keeping him locked in. 

“Where are we?” Liam asked, not bothering to whisper when it was obvious they were the only ones there.

“Welcome to hell, Dunbar.” Theo walked forward and opened the doors, hoping Liam would have enough sense to follow him. 

“This is where you were trapped the whole time? The hospital?” Theo ignored Liam as he came face-to-face with Tara, standing at the end of the corridor. “You know… we can have this conversation another time. What do we need to do to get past her?” 

“I don’t know, I never did.” Liam’s face blanched, looking at Theo’s determination, and realizing after a moment the determination was fake. 

Theo took a step in Tara’s direction and Liam would later tell the pack (with Theo’s permission) how she went all “The Ring” on them, crawling on all fours, waterlogged clothes, and skin covered by matted, soaked hair. 

She was in front of Theo far too quickly, and before Liam could react, she had reached into his chest, and ripped out his heart, holding it tauntingly in front of him. Liam screamed, watching Theo’s lifeless body fall back before it was like a reset button had been hit and Theo was swinging open the morgue doors again. Tara was back where she started, and Liam was shaking.

“I hate to suggest it, but her intentions are to keep me here. She might let you pass.” Liam turned to him, swallowing down the sick feeling at seeing Theo alive and well, and processing for the first time what Theo had really gone through during his months locked away in hell.

“How am I supposed to navigate your mind without you ?” Theo was quiet for a moment before he walked to the far side of the wall. Tara didn’t move, obviously not swayed by Theo walking in general, just trying to make progress down the hall.

He stopped in front of the wall for a moment before he slipped a claw out and cut his palm. He pressed it against the wall and Liam watched as the blood trailed up the wall in intricate lines, forming a map of sorts. Once it was done forming Theo looked back at Liam expectantly. 

“Oh shit, it’s Mykonos.”

Liam walked past Tara with no problems, the dead girl even giving a small wave as he went on his way. The maze was embedded in his thoughts, Theo’s mind mapping itself so Liam could navigate it. He pointedly ignored the corridors that would take him through Theo’s childhood and instead made a straight shot for where the blood map had marked Monroe . 

“I can assure you, Theo. You won’t remember any of this by the time I’m done with you.” Monroe’s voice drifted from the dark corridors and Liam sped up, knowing they were running out of time to be here. “You’ll be lucky if you get out of this alive, but I do have backups.” 

Liam rounded the final corner and found himself in the room where Theo had been held captive. Monroe was sitting at the table feet away from him and Theo looked completely out of it. 

“What’re you talking about, Monroe?” Theo sounded delirious, no wonder he didn’t remember this. Dehydrated and starved, Monroe had spilled out her plans when he was at his most vulnerable, something Theo’s mind wasn’t built for. 

“I’ve been periodically adding mercury to the wolfsbane while you’ve been here. And I’ll tell you what else, my stunt as a guidance counselor means I have access to strong prescription drugs to prescribe  ‘students.’ Have you heard of diazepam, Theo? In small doses, it can be used to treat anxiety, seizures, even insomnia. Of course, having a supernatural overdose is very difficult but I’ve realized something fascinating about the long-lasting effects of diazepam.” She paused, this manic smile spreading as she realized Theo had no idea what she was saying. “Memory loss.” 

Liam stepped back in shock, drawing the attention of ‘Monroe.’ She gave a cruel chuckle as she picked up a loaded gun and pointed it at Liam. “Where are you going, Little Wolf?” 

He tried to take another step back but found that the wall had closed behind him, it seemed the way to get them out of here was to… get Theo away from Monroe, who had a loaded gun pointed at him. 

His claws came out and Monroe’s lip curled in disgust at seeing them. Liam’s eyes flashed, trying to get a reaction from Theo, whose eyes flashed back. So this was real-world Theo too. 

Liam didn’t want to kill Monroe, didn’t know if that’s the only solution Theo’s mind would accept, but he overpowered the woman and snapped her gun with little trouble. He untied Theo’s wrists, and Theo, not having the same restrictions as Liam, sliced her neck open without flinching. 

—

“So, anything?” Stiles asked, moments after they’d been back in the living world. Theo grumbled about “his stupid sister being stubborn” which everyone thankfully ignored as Liam took the reins. 

“Monroe dosed him with mercury and diazepam the whole time he was captive.”

“Why diazepam? It’s incredibly hard for us to have a normal overdose, our bodies just burn it up,” Isaac asked. 

“Apparently Monroe was experimenting with the long-term effects of dosing supernaturals. Diazepam causes memory loss, even in humans, if dosed for too long.” 

And this could be a problem. If they couldn’t figure out how to reverse it, then Theo would begin to lose memories rapidly. Amnesia, to put it lightly. 

“Great, well at least she’s dead and can’t do it to anyone else. So, Theo, you’re now our main priority.” Theo quirked an eyebrow at Stiles and sunk lower into the couch. 

Liam took a seat next to him and gave him a  look that said we’re-unpacking-all-that-later-no-questions.

Theo huffed and turned away from Liam to look back at the rest of the pack. They were all looking at him expectantly. “What? Are you waiting for me to say thank you? There, I said it.” Without waiting for someone else to start up another topic of conversation, Theo stood up from the couch and made his way back upstairs to sleep. 

Liam had followed, not that he’d questioned if he would, and they curled up in the guest bed in much the same position they were hours before. 

Liam’s eyes were resolute even before he opened his mouth, and Theo knew not to argue with whatever words came out of his mouth. “You know I’m going to do whatever I can to help you. There’s too much good in the world for you to forget about it.” 

Theo let out a long sigh but he’d already promised himself to not argue, so he just gave Liam a soft smile. I don’t have a lot of good in my world, but I’ll try to remember, for you . 

Hayden was there by the time Melissa woke up in the morning. The pack hadn’t woken her or Chris up during the commotion last night by some small miracle. So she was confused to see her son’s other beta frantically knocking on her door as the sun rose. 

Hayden let herself in after thanking Melissa and made her way through the crowded living room, werewolf grace making it so she sidestepped even Alec, who tossed and turned every two seconds. 

She made her way upstairs, Melissa not far behind her, only because of confusion and curiosity, and let herself into the guest room where Theo and Liam were sleeping. Neither of them stirred at Hayden’s presence and her nose scrunched for a brief moment before she crossed the room and punched Theo’s shoulder. 

“Ow! Hayden, the hell?” Theo growled out, eyes flashing open in an instant. Liam grumbled and burrowed deeper into Theo’s side before said chimera pushed him off and gave a pointed glare in his ex-beta’s direction. 

“That was for making me think you were dying, Theo!” Hayden stepped forward again like she was going to hit him again, and Liam was the one who growled this time. “Knock it off, Liam. I’m not gonna kill him.” 

“Nice to see you, Hayden, glad you made the trip.” Theo rolled his eyes and laid back down as Liam propped himself up on Theo’s side. 

“Yeah, well, apparently some of my pack bonds still think of Theo as my alpha—” Theo snorted at that, closing his eyes and willing sleep to come back to him, “—so the agonizing pain I felt wasn’t much fun either.” 

“If it makes you feel any better, Romero, I probably won’t even remember you were my beta soon. So hopefully that will rectify the situation.” It didn’t rectify Hayden’s attitude, however. 

Liam and Melissa wound up dragging Hayden out, Liam promising to explain to both of them what was going on while Theo rested. 

Hours of fitful sleep later, Theo left the bedroom, wondering where Liam had gone off to and found the rest of the pack mingling between the kitchen and living room. 

Hayden was there too, conversing with Mason and Corey, Brett off to the side pretending to not be listening to the conversation. Some of them stopped for a moment when Theo came down, but they returned to what they were doing almost immediately. 

“Theo, you’re awake!” Liam came bounding over from the kitchen, where he’d seemed to be watching Melissa and Chris fix dinner. 

“Hey, I didn’t know where you were when I woke up.” Liam’s chemosignals tanked for a second and Theo tilted his head confused. “But it’s okay, I slept like the whole day, and Hayden’s here, obviously I didn’t expect you to stay the whole time.” The mood shifted to something lighter and Theo was glad he’d said the right thing. 

They made their way over to the rest of the puppy pack, Liam sitting beside Hayden and Theo next to him. Hayden turned to give Theo a grin and Theo waved back at her. “Hayden, when did you get in?” 

And the mood tanked again.

—

“What do you mean I talked to Hayden when she got here this morning? I-I don’t-Oh god, I don’t remember.” Theo’s panicking, pacing the living room as the puppy pack tries to make light of the fact that Theo’s already losing memories. 

Liam, trying his best, approaches Theo, who’s staring at Hayden as if he’ll miraculously recover their exchange this morning. “It’s okay, though. We talked to Deaton while you were asleep, he’s down in South America with Cora right now gathering new herbs or something. He says he’ll be back soon and can fix this.” 

“So I just have to not lose my mind until the good doctor decides to come home?” There’s a touch of irritation in Theo’s voice, understandably, and Liam just takes his hands and holds them tight. 

“We’ve faced worse, you know that. The whole pack is here to help like Stiles said last night.” Theo can’t really remember what Stiles said last night either, but he decided to keep that to himself and just let Liam run on with his motivational speech. 

“All this means is we’ll have to take the precautions we were planning to take earlier than expected,” Scott said, Malia sitting at his side with determination in her eyes, and Isaac sitting on the arm of the couch with the same resolution in his. Theo could see how they all went so well together. 

The precautions had apparently been talked over by the pack after Liam and Theo went back to sleep. Theo has to have someone with him at all times, no exceptions. Theo or someone with him should keep a brief log of what’s been done that day, so no repetition of tasks occurs. Theo has to tell the pack if anything in his condition changes, whether it’s longer gaps in his memory or the sudden presence of pain. 

All in all the precautions don’t seem unreasonable. Theo knows with Monroe gone her operations will slowly start to crumble, but in the meantime, he’s not allowed on missions either. He doesn’t like the idea of being stuck at the house while the rest of the pack are out doing productive things to keep the supernatural world safe, but Theo knows he’d just get in the way.

The puppy pack all start notes on their phones in the event they’re the one logging Theo’s day. The older pack members don’t take the same steps, knowing it’s less likely Theo would be with them alone without one of the puppies. 

Hours later, when most of the pack has gone to sleep and Theo is reminded that he slept the entire day, he remembers his car keys are still by the door. Liam has passed out on the couch next to Theo, head tilted down and barely brushing Theo’s shoulder, but he ignores that and proceeds to the door. 

He’s breaking the rules already, he knows. Don’t go anywhere without someone, no exceptions . But Theo’s truck is familiar, he’s lived in that backseat for months, to anyone else it would smell like Theo, and probably the constant annoyance he feels driving members of the puppy pack around. To Theo, the truck smells like home, smells like waking up from nightmares, Tara’s name still on his tongue, the smell of desperation when he didn’t have enough money for food and nobody had planned a pack meeting that week. 

Theo sits in the driver’s seat for a long time, not moving from the driveway, before he finally turns the key and begins to drive. He doesn’t know where he’s going, there’s no destination in mind, but Theo needed to leave the house one last time before he completely lost his mind, even if he didn’t remember it in the morning. 

Theooo… and of course Tara would follow him on his nightly excursions, her presence never faltering. She thankfully kept to the backseat, or at least that’s where he assumed she was since he could only see her through the mirror and he couldn’t bring himself to actually turn around and face her. 

He tuned out a couple of times only to come back and realize he didn’t know why he was driving in the middle of the night. Was he supposed to be going to Scott’s? Or Liam’s? Maybe they’d found something else in the sewers and needed Theo to suffer through the Doctor’s mindless writings. He decided the last option was probably it, so he took the next left and headed in the direction of the lair. 

He wasn’t thrilled at walking through the dank sewers, no heartbeats that Theo could hear. Had they really sent him here with no backup? Sure, the place had long since been cleared out of people, but hunters roamed everywhere. Then again, this was Theo, why would they send anyone with him for what should be a simple task?

He couldn’t find his phone either, when had he lost that? It wasn’t in his truck, Theo had looked before he got out, so how had he been sent here in the first place? He faintly remembered the pack gathered at Scott’s place, and the serious looks on everyone's faces made Theo think that was where he’d gotten his assignment. 

He picked up a stack of files with a thick layer of dust on them and sat down on the floor, back propped against the metal operating table. The files were all written in the illegible scrawl Theo had come to associate with the Geneticist, the only female in the eclectic group that had raised him. 

Their gloves had made it nearly impossible to write neatly, and for the less important things they’d made Theo write it for them, but Theo had learned to read the Geneticist’s writing when he was a child, as she taught him in a ‘homeschooling’ style. 

Tracy Stewart - Failure - Kanima/Wolf - Terminated
Josh Diaz - Failure - Raiju/Wolf - Terminated
Corey Bryant - Failure - Ghost Rider/Chameleon - Terminated
Hayden Romero - Failure - Jaguar/Wolf - Terminated

Each of the files was filled with hospital records showing their status as a genetic chimera, notes jotted down during examinations of their progress, and photos. The raiju made sense for Josh, he didn’t think he’d ever gotten to know why he craved electricity so bad. And the Ghost Rider bit for Corey… was interesting but not surprising. Theo put the files on top of the operating table to take them back to the pack. Maybe Corey would want to read up on all the abilities he was supposed to have as a chimera. 

The last two files laid innocently in his lap, Mason’s and his. And while he’d skimmed the others, he wanted to know why Mason had worked and he didn’t, why Theo hadn’t died at the Doctor’s hands. 

Mason Hewitt - Possible Success - La Bête du Gévaudan - Alive

He looked through the data, combed through the Geneticist’s notes, his brain trying to process what he was reading. He knew she’d died before she could scratch out the ‘possible’ beside ‘success’ but he wondered if she was happy she’d succeeded. 

Theo Raeken - Failure - Coyote/Wolf - Alive

He stopped, staring at the word next to his name, written in that hideous chicken scratch. Failure . And of course, he was, he hadn’t been what they wanted, so it wasn’t like he was their success story, that’s what the ‘alive’ status was for. 

His file was by far the thickest, notes in chronological order of operation, dating back to the very beginning before he’d even killed Tara. The subject  seems promising for further experimentation. There were the notes on the times they’d tested his healing in comparison to regular werewolves— Healing factor is less promising than full-blooded supernatural, disappointing— and the times where they’d trapped him in mountain ash barriers for days, food and water just outside, until he could break it on his own— Subject shows signs of overcoming restrictions put upon full-blooded supernaturals, the process can be replicated in future subjects— and Theo turned to the side and threw up. 

The first time he’s mentioned by name and not ‘subject’ according to the date, he’s fourteen. He’s been with the Doctors nearly as long as he was with his own parents, and they’re testing his resistance to wolfbane by injecting it straight into his organs. She writes that he pleads with them for the first time in three years to stop, and for a moment she thinks letting Theo gather his strength will be good for the test, but the Surgeon and Pathologist obviously have other plans as they unload another syringe into his left kidney and don’t react to the screaming. 

She says he screams all through the night, the wolfsbane building resistance in his body they hope to replicate during the transformation in future subjects, but Theo isn’t screaming about the burning pain in his body. He screams out his sister’s name, and pleads for forgiveness she cannot give, and eventually, in the early morning, passes out. 

And Theo… he remembers. Those are the days he wishes the diazepam would steal from him, the endless tests and experiments and low murmurings from the Doctors as they wondered what else they wanted for future chimeras. Theo doesn’t think the pack even realizes Theo’s mountain ash resistance and wolfsbane tolerance aren’t from being a chimera in the way it is for Corey, it’s because Theo was forced into a role he had to play to survive, and he learned to adapt. 

He pushes his and Mason’s files away shakily, shuffling back from the offending pieces of paper laying out his life. There are photos too, the Doctors took one every six months he was with them, and then there are more of when he shifted into a wolf for the first time, and there were annual photos of his half-shifted form, to see the progression of fang growth, and to make sure one of their operations had taken and Theo’s eyes wouldn’t change to blue. 

“Theo! Please be here! Theo!” Liam rounded the corner of the operating theater, taking note of the various files spread around Theo. Corey, Mason, Brett, Hayden, and Nolan weren’t far behind him but they kept their distance, letting Liam handle the situation. “Oh, thank God! Why did you run off? You’re so lucky Corey remembered how to get here.” 

Theo didn’t react to their presence, eyes locked on the floor next to Liam’s feet where his file laid. Liam took note of this and looked to examine the files closer. Before he could grab one Theo seemed to come back to himself, looking at Liam blankly. 

“I don’t remember what I was doing before I came here, I just felt like I needed to come here and assumed you or Scott had found more things for me to go through.” Liam’s hand had stopped moving towards the folder as Theo began to speak, but after Theo didn’t go on he went back to the action of picking up the folder labeled Mason Hewitt . 

Liam could barely read the notes scribbled with different dates, all though, Mason’s was admittedly very lacking compared to the other files. Josh, Tracy, Hayden, and Corey’s were all laid out on the table beside Liam, the one he’d watched Hayden be strapped down to what felt like a lifetime ago. 

He handed over Corey’s and Hayden’s questioningly, in a gesture that made them know they didn’t need to take it. They did, and Mason took his own from Liam’s hands. Theo still hadn’t really done anything else, but his gaze had drifted to Brett and Nolan, and Liam wondered what he was thinking. 

Theo was wondering what Brett and Nolan made of this place, one of the many underground operating theaters he’d grown up in, surrounded by practically immortal people who’d manipulated him into killing his sister when he was eight. 

His gaze slid back over to Liam, who was already looking at him with such concern, and he got it, really, he probably looked like a mess. “Liam, I think I’m going to be sick.” 

Liam reacted before the others, being closer and being the one Theo had alerted to the situation, but Theo did not get sick. Instead, his gaze unfocused from where he’d been looking at Liam, and he slumped down unconscious a matter of seconds after Liam had reached him.

—

Theo came to on the McCall’s couch. Liam was carding gentle fingers through his hair and was talking softly, like that would dissuade Theo from waking up. He jolted violently, faintly hearing Liam tell him that it was okay, that he was home and he was safe. 

He focused on Liam’s voice, and his heartbeat, and his scent, grounding himself for a moment before he reopened his eyes. Liam gave him a hesitant grin which he tried to return but turned into more of a grimace, and sat up from where his head had been laying in Liam’s lap. 

The puppy pack were the only ones in the living room currently, but Theo could hear the abundance of heartbeats in the kitchen alerting him to their location. Isaac came to lean in the doorframe, a cup of coffee in his hands and a smirk on his lips. 

“Stiles has confiscated your keys for the foreseeable future, kid. Glad you didn’t forget how to drive last night.” 

“Don’t encourage him!” Scott and Stiles yelled in unison before the rest of the older pack was crowding into the living room. And really, Theo thought, these poor pieces of furniture needed a rest for a day. 

“You went against the rules, like literally a couple hours after we told you the rules, what the hell, Theo?” Stiles sounded genuinely distraught but he really couldn’t talk for last night him, he had no idea what he was thinking. Seeing the look on his face, Stiles facepalmed and sighed so long Theo wondered if Stiles actually needed to breathe. “You don’t even remember, do you? What, did you think it was a late-night pack meeting and leave to go home after everyone was asleep?” 

That sounded like sound logic for Theo’s muddled mind and probably wasn’t far off from whatever he’d really been doing. 

“I just don’t get how you ended up at the theater. If that's the case, why not go to your actual home?” Theo blinked, stunning for a moment that no one had thought to tell Stiles of all people that Theo didn’t have a home, it was just something they didn’t bring up.

“Um, you kind of took my house keys when we got back, from what Isaac told me.” Theo chuckles and tries to lighten the mood as confusion marred Stiles’ face. 

“No, I took your truck keys. It’s got a singular key on the hook.” They have this brief stare off for what could have been hours but was probably only a few seconds, and Stiles curses loudly. “You live in your truck?!” 

That gets him some looks, and maybe Stiles wasn’t the only one who didn’t know, but then Scott is opening his dumb, ‘must-help-everyone’ mouth. “Why didn’t you tell us?” Theo is so confused. 

“You guys knew, didn’t you? I-I wasn’t exactly hiding it. And the deputies are always making me move my car at night, I just assumed the Sheriff told all of you.” It’s then that the adults decide to make their entrance into the conversation, Peter, Derek, Melissa, Chris, and… Noah. 

“My deputies are doing what?” And, oh, the Sheriff didn’t know either. Well, now the confusion seems a little more justified in Theo’s opinion. 

“I just thought you all knew! It’s really not a big deal.” Theo tries to protest, not taking into account the slow-building growl coming from the side Liam’s on. 

“What made you think that any of us knew, and were allowing you to just live in your car? ” And that comment comes from Malia of all people, and Theo really can’t take any more surprises today. 

“Because, um hello, I’m me . Theo. The murdering psychopath who tried and succeeded in killing Scott not all that long ago.” The tension in the air could be cut with a knife, and Theo’s half tempted to actually get one and put himself out of his misery. 

“Have you been living in your car since I brought you back?” Liam asks, and Theo turns to see his eyes keep flickering between gold and the blue that Theo knows and loves. He isn’t going to like the answer, none of them are, but they’re all expecting one so Theo just nods. 

Liam buries his face in his hands, cursing and muttering about how Theo was ‘his responsibility’, and Theo is so very, very lost. The rest of the pack, minus Jackson, Ethan, and Isaac, who haven’t exactly been around long enough to understand the implications of the situation, all smell so guilty. Even the Hales reek of it, and Theo assumes it’s because both of them are loaded and could have easily given him an apartment with no complaint if they knew, but it’s still surprising. 

“Look, it’s not like I can live in my car while I’m losing my memories. I mean, I went back to the theater looking for files for who-knows-what, so we can sort it out now and everyone can stop with the pity party.” 

At the mention of Theo’s late-night excursions, Mason and Corey perk up a bit, sharing a look Theo can’t decipher before carrying over a stack of files. 

“We assume you read these before we found you last night. It’s all the chimeras and their information. And, um, yours too.” Mason puts Theo’s on top and he’s suddenly reminded of everything he read last night in the sewers. 

“I read mine. I assume you three found yours just as enlightening without the added existential crisis at your whole life being reduced to a manila folder.” That last comment was directed towards Hayden too, who just leveled him back with an unreadable stare. 

“We can barely read what it says, so we tried to piece things together. You said you can read it?” 

“Oh yeah, I’m fluent in the Geneticist’s writing. She’s the one who taught me advanced lit after all.” 

“Wait, what?” Theo raised an eyebrow at the dumbfounded expression on Mason and Corey’s faces. 

“You honestly expected the Doctors to let me attend school, where they couldn’t keep tabs on me for every minute of every day and test out new experiments?” He watched as Brett and Nolan squirmed uncomfortably and Liam and Hayden grimaced. Hoping to deter the conversation, Theo turned his attention to Hayden. 

“I could always read your notes to you guys if you're interested.” The three with folders all nodded and the mood shifted to something lighter when Malia and Isaac decided to wrestle in the middle of the living room. 

—

The days only got worse, and as Cora finally gave Derek an estimate of a week before her and Deaton’s return, the pack hoped Theo could find the willpower to hold on until they were back. He didn’t make it easy though, as much as he tried, he was losing a lot of time, and it was affecting him mentally. 

It had become routine for the rest of the pack at this point for sometime around lunch to expect Theo’s first episode of the day to occur. He wouldn’t remember any of the morning events, knowing he ate only because he wasn’t hungry, and knowing he showered only because he smelled clean and was wearing clean clothes. But they all became resigned to the way his eyes would dim mid-conversation and they would know he was gone for the day. 

His morning episodes were the worst he experienced in the average day, having moments where he’d lose track of a conversation and repeat himself a couple of times before he got back on track, but the loss of memory came with resurfacing of other memories Theo tended to not think about a lot, which meant he over thought them in his moments of delirium. 

Everyone knew time was running out one afternoon when Brett, Lori, Alec, and Hayden were sent to Theo’s room to see what the crash that had sounded was. The rest of the puppies were at school as Ms. Martin had expressed some disappointment in their recent absences. 

The crash had turned out to be a bedside lamp Theo shattered on the far side of the room. He’d curled himself up in the opposite corner, looking in the direction of the wall where the shards laid but not actually taking note of the broken lamp. 

“Theo? What’s going on?” Hayden was the one to approach him, former packmate and all, his mind more likely to process her before the others. Lori and Alec began to pick up the bigger lamp shards, disregarding if their palms were cut since the lines disappeared almost instantly. Brett exited and re-entered the room with a vacuum to remove the smaller pieces and the glass from the broken light bulb from the carpet. 

“I killed them, Hayden.” Theo’s voice sounded hollow as he spoke the words like he’d become resigned to the consequences of his actions and what his words meant. 

“Killed who, honey?” Hayden was at a loss. She didn’t know where Theo was at in his head right now, the Dread Doctors, returning to Beacon Hills—

“Our packmates!” he choked on the words and mercury-tinted tears rolled down his face. Hayden gave a sorrowful smile and wiped the silver tears away. 

“I know, sweetheart. It’s okay now. It was a long time ago.” But how could she say that? She and Theo were the only ones left! He’d killed Josh and Tracy and Corey without any remorse. Electricity absorption. Kanima venom. Invisibility. He’d killed them for power and then lost it in hell. 

He didn’t even remember using Corey’s power, but he couldn’t hear him in the house and he hadn’t come running to Theo like Hayden had, so he must be dead. Theo thought like it was the only explanation, like Liam and the rest of the puppy pack were also dead because they weren’t at the house. Because Theo had forgotten he told Liam they needed to go to school this morning. 

“How is that okay? People are dead because of me! Because I was selfish and greedy and—”

“Manipulated from childhood to believe the Doctors were the only people who could keep you alive, but that they’d also kill you if you went against them.” 

Theo sniffled, turning his gaze from Hayden to look at Tara’s figure standing in the same location she’d been when he threw the lamp at her. The others had evidently cleaned up the remains of the lamp and left the room to give Theo as much privacy as possible in a supernatural-infested house. 

“I want to see them.” The determination in his gaze took Hayden back for a moment before she nodded. 

“Let me just call Liam and tell him we’re going out, so they don’t worry if we aren’t back before they are.” Theo processed the words as her phone was ringing and Theo made a startled sound, reaching for the phone. Hayden really should’ve stopped being surprised by Theo’s actions by now, but Liam’s voice cut through the phone as Theo was lunging for the device. 

“ Hello? Hayden, what’s going on? ” As much as he tried to hide it, Liam worried constantly over Theo, and the edge of panic in his voice wasn’t lost on Hayden. 

“Hey, I caught you during class change right? Well, Theo and I are going out for a bit, just didn’t want you to worry if we weren’t back before school ended.” 

“ Where are you going? ” She ignored the pit of dread that settled in both their stomachs and just gave Theo a reassuring smile. 

“We’re going to visit Josh and Tracy.” Corey’s muffled words sounded over the line and Theo’s attention was hooked back on the device in her hand. 

Liam sighed, “ Okay, just… be safe. Take one of the older members if they offer. ” Hayden gave a hum of acknowledgment and ended the call, turning her attention back to Theo. 

He declined to tell her he thought Corey was dead too. But she hadn’t mentioned Corey’s name, and the voice over the phone with Liam sounded too much like Corey for it to not be. 

They made their way out of the room slowly, Theo tracking Tara to see if she moved with them, she didn’t. Hayden didn’t mention the odd behavior, and the rest of the pack was already waiting for them in the living room by the time they got down. Evidently, they had eavesdropped, but whether it was pure curiosity or to make sure Hayden could handle the situation, Theo didn’t know. 

“I’m going with you guys,” Stiles said, flashing the keys to Roscoe. The rest of the pack told them the same as Liam, be safe , and they piled out to Roscoe and drove into the humid afternoon. Stiles and Hayden took the front seats while Theo threw his legs up in the back and stared out the window. 

“Where are we going?” He asked, wondering why he was in the car with Hayden and Stiles of all people instead of like Liam . 

Hayden turned to give him a toothless smile, “We’re going to see Josh and Tracy.” Theo nodded but that didn’t really answer his question. Didn’t he kill them? Were their bodies abandoned in the sewers where he’d slain them?

The drive wasn’t too long, or maybe it was and Theo didn’t remember it, but soon they were walking out to a clearing in the forest where two makeshift headstones laid. 

Josh Diaz

Tracy Stewart

Theo sighed heavily and sat cross-legged on the ground at the foot of the graves. Hayden and Stiles sat a few feet away, both engaging in their own conversation Theo didn’t bother to listen in on. His packmates were here , under the ground, and they were silent. 

Theo wondered if he’d truly lost their abilities during his time in hell, dormant in the skinwalker’s prison and ripped out of him along with Tara’s heart. Or maybe they were deep inside him, unwilling to be used, fractured like he was. 

He couldn’t feel the call of kanima claws or the urge for electricity, he didn’t really feel anything anymore. 

Hours passed, all he’d accomplished in that time was moving to lay between the graves, closing his eyes and begging for some sort of reprieve. Hayden and Stiles had stayed in their spot too, stationed like bodyguards. 

“Theo, are you ready to go back?” Hayden asked as the sun dipped below the trees and the night sky began to make its appearance. He gave a hum and turned to face them, eyes glowing in the night. 

“I think they’re the first ones I’ve truly regretted.” The color of his eyes never faltered though, a cursed gold marking him the perfect spy. The gold bled out to his normal hazel and he sighed heavily as he touched the ground beside him. 

“This isn’t the first time I’ve been out here, is it.” It was a statement, not a question. Because Theo didn’t feel like this was a new place as much as his memories said otherwise, and he knew he hadn’t been the one to bury them here. 

“Liam and Scott brought you here yesterday,” Stiles finally answered after a painfully long silence, an equally painful one following. Yesterday . He’d been here less than a day ago and didn’t have any memories of it. He tried to think back on yesterday, but he barely remembered Liam curling into his chest and whispering that ‘this isn’t the end, we’ll get past this too,’ before drifting off to sleep.

“Why did you bring me back?” He asked, wondering what the purpose of this trip would accomplish the second time around. 

“You were so upset. And I figured getting out of the house would be good for you, even if you came here yesterday.” He nodded at Hayden’s explanation. 

The ride back was in complete silence, none of the three willing to start a conversation. Liam was waiting for them on the front steps when they returned to the McCall house, pushing off the steps and making his way to Theo when they parked. 

There weren’t any words between them, just Liam ushering Theo back into the house and proceeding to tell him about the boring day he’d endured at school while Theo went cruising through Beacon Hills. 

Theo looked back to catch a glimpse of Hayden and Stiles still standing by the jeep, barely-there smiles present on their faces.

—

Two days before Deaton and Cora made it to Beacon Hills—really it was thirty-six hours, but who wants to be that technical—and Theo could reclaim some sense of normalcy in his life; everything, predictably, went to shit. 

Theo woke up early, spent some time with the pack having conversations he’d inevitably forget in a few hours, and watched as Melissa and Chris went to the kitchen to make enough pancakes to put IHOP to shame. 

Peter, appearing from wherever he comes from, protested the four straight days of pancakes the pack had served and insisted on doing breakfast. Malia just rolled her eyes at her father, but Scott and Isaac both had this naive puppy dog look that would easily get them killed if they didn’t have her. 

Crepes . Of all things, Peter decided that after complaining about pancakes he’d make crepes. Derek was too busy bashing him on the fact that crepes were literally thin pancakes for anyone to notice the late-risers—Liam—descend downstairs. He took his place cuddled next to Theo and his brows furrowed slightly as he turned to him. 

“Why are you so cold?” As if 95% of the house couldn’t hear him anyway, Liam whispered, and Theo looked at him in confusion. He was wrapped in a heavy blanket already and had been trying to ignore the chill in his bones that he’d woken up with.

Before he could think of something to say, Corey and Hayden, mother hens they were, both reached out their hands to place on Theo’s uncovered arm. They both grimaced at the chill and shared a silent conversation with Liam that Theo was left in the dark for. 

“Well, since somebody wasted our entire morning making a knockoff meal of what we’ve been having, you guys are getting brunch. We can order a pizza later since I know you heathens will complain about being starved.” Stiles was the one to make the announcement, and everyone took that as the cue to get a plate. 

After everyone had eaten, and Theo and Liam had settled back into their little spot on the couch, Theo dozed off. Liam, unconcerned, let him sleep for a couple of hours, well past the usual memory reset time Theo’s brain had set for itself. 

Theo was the first to know something was truly wrong, and he knew the moment he woke up. Because he knew Peter made crepes for breakfast that morning, and that meant something. His eyes immediately sought out Tara’s silhouette, standing just off to the side of the couch and watching with a look Theo would almost say was worry if it wasn’t for the fact she was waiting to drag him to hell.

Liam was the second to latch on to something being off, with the way Theo reacted when he woke up. Theo turned to him, a question brewing on his lips before his jaw audibly snapped shut. 

“Something’s wrong.” Is all Theo said, and from the kitchen, Lydia shattered a glass onto the tile floor.

When Theo came too again it was dark, as if hours had passed in the blink of an eye. His breathing quickened and he tried to understand what was happening. He was on the floor, maybe, or the couch had suddenly become incredibly stiff, and there were blurry, unbodied voices around him.

Tara stood clearly in front, and she flickered for a moment before being replaced by Monroe . She gave a cruel smirk in Theo’s direction and stalked forward in determination. As she reached him, she dropped down to be level with him and whispered, pointlessly since he’s the only one who could hear her, you lose . 

Outwardly, Theo had been seizing on and off for the last thirty minutes. Scott was trying to get a straight answer from Deaton and Derek was all but ready to smash the phone he held on a call with Cora currently. Lydia kept blindly reaching for her neck as if waiting for a scream not willing to come, and Stiles and Parrish were trying to pull her out of whatever banshee trance she was in. 

Liam was being restricted to the couch by the puppy pack and Malia, who was deemed pack mom the moment she blindly reached for Theo’s seizing form to lower him to the ground. Scott and Isaac had turned the kitchen corner a fraction of a moment later, hands still shaking like they’d recalled to the pack many years ago when Erica was around. 

“What do you mean you were probably going to have me do it anyway? You didn’t think to tell me in advance that—” Scott was cut off by whatever Deaton said on the other end of the line and Malia just barely caught the twitch his eye gave in response. 

“Scott! Whatever we have to do, it’s gotta be now!” Isaac, who had the most experience with seizures, seeing as Erica decided to educate him in all things epilepsy, called out. Theo’s eyes were fluttering rapidly but he’d stopped seizing for the moment. Mercury dripped constantly from his nose and slowly started leaking out of his mouth as he bit his tongue. 

Scott sat down at Theo’s side, Derek hanging up on Cora in the middle of a sentence to take the other side. Isaac was stationed at his head to make sure he didn’t concuss himself. 

“You remember when Erica got kanima venom poisoning? Her healing didn’t kick in so you had to drain the venom. Well, Deaton said the body’s treating the mercury as a poison. So we’re going to have to drain it.” 

“He has mercury poisoning, Scott. He’ll die from blood loss before we get it all out,” Derek, ever the optimist pointed out. Scott steadied him with a look and it only took a moment for him to understand. “Okay.” 

Derek’s nails flexed into claws a split moment before they were sunk deep into Theo’s arm. Silver blood pooled around the floor instantly. Outwardly, there was no reaction from Theo. Inwardly, Theo, face-to-face with Monroe, watched as deep gashes appeared on his arm and his eyes flared in response to the pain. 

Liam was practically being held by Malia, the young beta desperate to help Theo in some way, and Malia, understanding this was Alpha (and former Alpha) business, held him back. 

Isaac’s own eyes flared when Theo’s heart rate dropped a fraction, knowing Scott and Derek felt it too and desperately hoping they knew exactly what they were doing. Liam choked back a snarl in his Alpha’s direction as he too felt the change. 

“You’re killing him!” 

“We’re saving him,” Derek replied and withdrew his claws as Scott drew Theo’s other arm to him. 

His hesitation was nonexistent, and he bit down on Theo’s arm, leaving a bite mark before Derek returned his claws into the previous gashes. 

More silver blood fell, although a considerably less amount than there was at the beginning. The place where Scott bit didn’t even have any remnants of mercury in the blood. 

When the blood falling from Theo’s arm was sufficiently mercury-free, Derek pulled away. Malia dropped her hold on Liam, who immediately launched himself at Theo’s side. Scott and Isaac shared a silent conversation, before they both got up, Derek had already departed to the kitchen for a wolfsbane-spiked beer and gave Liam and Theo space. 

—

Theo came back slowly, groggy and not quite understanding what was happening. The living room had tried to delve into conversations, subtly looking in the direction of where Theo was sprawled out halfway in Liam’s arms. 

“What the hell happened?” he muttered, speech slurred and wincing at the slight traces of mercury that remained buried in his teeth. Liam gave a watery smile down at him and rubbed his thumbs over Theo’s cheekbones. 

“You had a bad episode. You tried to say something was wrong but you got really sick. And then you start seizing, god Theo, you wouldn’t stop shaking. It was so scary.” Liam’s voice broke at the end and he pressed his forehead into Theo’s even at the odd angle. 

Theo’s eyes remained trained on Liam, taking note of the minute shifts in his expression, the souring dips in his chemosignals, and he took a deep breath.

Liam pulled back to give him space, looking at him imploringly like Theo had any clue what he was supposed to be doing. The amount of silver blood soaking the carpet around him made him fear slightly for his life at facing the wrath of Melissa McCall, but something didn’t add up.

Making the move to get up himself, Theo dismissed the hand Liam held out to him as he scrambled up to help Theo, standing on slightly shaking legs for a moment before he gathered his bearings. 

The pack was doing their best to seem like they weren’t eavesdropping, not fooling Theo in the slightest, but all conversation ceased when Theo made a move for the stairs. Liam trailed after him, not thinking twice about the rest of the pack, and more so on the fact that Theo didn’t need to be alone right now.

In the bedroom that had unofficially become Theo and Liam’s during their stay, Liam found the other already laid out on the bed. He looked over in Liam’s direction, beckoning him in, and didn’t even bother to move when Liam laid down at his side and curled up against him. 

“I was so scared I’d lost you,” Liam whispered, Theo hummed in confirmation that he’d heard him. He ran a hand over Liam’s shaking one that gripped tight to the blanket between them, drawing Liam’s attention to him. 

“You didn’t. You won’t, not if this pack has anything to say about it, it seems. But I know you were scared, I was scared, so it’s okay. I promise, for at least this moment, it’s okay, Liam.” 

Tears rolled down Liam’s face, salt and sadness enveloping the room, the slight scent of relief and guilt buried underneath. 

“Theo, I need to tell you—tell you what we did to save you. Deaton said it was the only way, that it was the solution he was going to tell us when he got back.” Theo took a deep breath and pressed his face closer to Liam, burying himself in his hair.

“I know, Liam. I knew the moment I woke up… my coyote was gone.” Liam’s heart skipped a beat at the implication. Theo hadn’t gone to the bedroom because he still felt unwell and overwhelmed, he came to the bedroom because he was mourning . God, Liam had invaded on his grieving time, the absolute jerk.

“Oh my god, Theo. I’m so sorry, I can go, if you want to be alone to grieve or whatever,” he finished lamely, and despite the heartbreak behind Theo’s eyes a tiny bit of amusement shone through at Liam’s weak attempt at an apology. 

“I would have made you go back downstairs if I didn’t want you here. I don’t want to be alone right now.” Liam made a pitiful noise in the back of his throat and pulled Theo closer, nose buried in his neck and vise versa, living for just a moment. 

Minutes passed and Liam wondered if Theo had fallen asleep with the way his breathing had steadied out and he’d sunk into Liam. That thought was shattered by Theo rolling away a fraction to look at Liam, exhaustion written across his face. 

Liam went to ask what was wrong, but Theo didn’t give him the chance, eyes flaring up into a brilliant blue. A broken exhale left Theo’s lips, ducking his head and scrunching his eyes closed tight a moment later. Liam reached over, taking Theo’s chin in his hand, and ran his fingers under his eye where it still glowed with the evidence of Theo’s past mistakes. 

“I—”

Liam silenced whatever he’d been about to say, lips covering Theo’s in a chaste kiss. “You’ve always felt regret for your past, this doesn’t change anything.” 

Theo blinked, taking in the last few seconds of his life before he nodded. “You just kissed me.” 

Liam raised an eyebrow at him, a smirk rising on his lips and gold eyes flaring up to match Theo’s still glowing ones. “Got a problem with it?” 

“Nope,” Theo shook his head, ducking his face back into Liam’s neck and breathing in the smell of safety, of Liam . 

Hours later, when the whispers had long since faded from the room, Scott and Melissa would come and peer in at the pair of wolves curled together asleep on the bed. And maybe Scott was slightly biased, but he was pretty sure he had the best pack to ever exist.