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When he was a child, Theo didn't know what paternal love or maternal warmth meant.
His parents did nothing but see him as a burden, a sick child who needed too much attention.
They focused all their attention on their firstborn Tara, completely ignoring their second child, as if he didn't exist, as if he were just a bother.
And thinking about it now, he had most likely always been just that to them.
A bother.
When his sister died, his parents were desperate for the loss of their little girl, but they didn't bother looking for their other missing son, they didn't worry that he might be in danger or dead like his sister.
They simply left town, not looking back.
They left Theo to his fate, dealing with three madmen who experimented on him as if he were their personal toy.
For a while, Theo hoped that they would come back and save him, he knew that his parents weren't the most caring towards him, but he didn't want to believe that they had actually left him, but they had.
His hope quickly faded and his heart hardened.
It was only years later, thanks to Liam, that he was able to open his heart to someone again.
He had with difficulty overcome his terrible trauma of abandonment, leaving behind his terrible biological family.
He had Liam and the pack now.
So when he suddenly found himself face to face with Mary and Jonathan Raeken, he didn't know exactly how to react.
He wanted so much to pretend not to know them and continue on his way, but he feared that by now his shocked expression had given him away.
Even his parents seemed to be shocked at the sight of him.
"Theo..." it was his mother who spoke "Is it really you?"
His mother's trembling hand tried to touch his face, but he abruptly avoided it.
"Hi" he replied coldly "When did you get back to town?"
"A few days ago" replied his father "In a few days is the anniversary of your sister's death"
Obviously.
They were here for Tara.
"I understand"
“We…thought you were dead” his mother said, trying to get closer to him.
"Did you think so or hope so?" he asked sarcastically “I guess it was liberating for you to know that you no longer had to worry about your useless sick son”
“How can you say something like that?” his father asked angrily "We mourned your death as much as Tara's"
Theo laughed.
He laughed heartily.
"Oh, I can imagine how devastating it was for you to lose Tara, but I bet you barely noticed my absence" he said trying to hold back his anger "After all it was always like this, Tara had the best presents on her birthday, you barely remembered when my birthday was, she was the favorite daughter and I was just the other sick son"
"Don't say that..."
“Save it…mom” he said, saying the last word contemptuously “If you must know, while you were mourning Tara's death and packing your bags to run away, I was taken by my sister's killers, and you really can't even imagine the horrible things they did to me"
"It must have been horrible and we're sorry..." his father tried to say.
"It's too late for apologies!" he blurted out angrily "Where the fuck were you when I needed you? Now I have other people to take care of me, I don't need you anymore"
"We know we didn't behave well with you, but please give us another chance" his mother begged.
"Why? Because now Tara is dead and I'm the only child you have left? Or because now I'm no longer sick and no longer a bother to you?" he asked rhetorically running a hand through his hair "It took me a long time to get over your abandonment, I've moved on now, I have an amazing boyfriend, his parents love me more than you ever do, I even have two adoptive parents who buy me a cake for every birthday, and friends who take care of me, I no longer need you and I have nothing else to say to you"
Those were his last words, before turning and running away, ignoring his mother's sobs and his father's screams.
He was done with them.
***
When Theo returned to the McCall house, he ignored the people in the room and went straight upstairs and locked himself in his room.
Scott looked confused at his girlfriend, who shook her head, not knowing what to say.
"He was fine before he left" Malia replied "Maybe he argued with Liam"
“Should we call him?” Scott asked, looking at his mother and Argent.
Melissa sighed, whatever had upset Theo, upset her too.
"I'll go and see how he is, but maybe it would be a good idea to call Liam, no one can calm him down like he can" she said going upstairs.
“I'll follow you” Chris said.
They went to their adopted son's room and found him on the bed, with his face buried in the pillow.
Melissa sat next to him and stroked his hair.
"What's the matter, darling? Have you had a fight with Liam?" she asked softly.
He finally took his head off the pillow and looked at her with shining eyes.
"I met my biological parents a little while ago" he said with a trembling voice "I would have preferred to be face to face with my sister rather than with them"
"Did they tell you something?" Chris asked worriedly.
"Not much, they kept saying they were sorry and wanted a second chance to be good parents" he said, sniffing.
"And what did you say?" Melissa asked.
"That it was too late for apologize and that I already have parents who take care of me, I don't need them anymore" he answered sincerely.
Melissa's heart melted.
“Darling…” she sighed “We love you, but are you sure? They're your parents anyway”
"We won't be offended" Chris said.
"They never loved me, I never considered them my parents" he said "I don't want anything to do with them"
"Okay, if that's what you want...you're free to choose not to forgive them" Melissa said "But you have to know that you worried your overprotective older brother, who called your equally overprotective boyfriend"
“Oh no” Theo groaned, grimacing “Scott needs to stop calling Liam every time I feel upset”
Melissa giggled, then stood up.
"In five minutes I want you downstairs, I made you the rice balls that you like so much" she said kissing his cheek.
"Thanks, Mom"
Melissa smiled, then went downstairs, followed by her boyfriend.
Shortly afterwards the door opened and Liam entered worriedly.
"Theo! Are you okay?!"
Melissa giggled.
Theo would have been fine.