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Liam woke up rapidly. He sat up on the bed and breathed quickly. That’s when he realized that those weren’t his feelings. Theo, Theo, Theo. That was all Liam thought about. He looked at his boyfriend, who was breathing quickly. Dunbar reacted in a second.
“Theo, wake up.” He kissed the were-coyote’s cheek.
January 2003, Beacon Hills.
Tara didn’t come back for the night. The police were called in the morning, after Jonathan came back from work, and Theo told him she still hadn’t come back from Camden’s. The boy told the same to his mother the night before, but she ignored Theo’s worries, telling him that he would understand once he’s older. Janice thought that Tara stayed the night. But Theo knew that she would call home, or at the very least — page Theo, so he wouldn’t worry.
Theo couldn’t sleep that night. He was glad that his dad was back, because Jonathan always listened to Theo’s concerns. Once he told his dad everything, Mr. Raeken called the station, reassured by Deputy Stilinski himself that they would do everything they can to find Tara.
Exepct, it will be a nine-year-old Theo Raeken who finds his dead sister. Theo Raeken, who will never erase the image of his pale, dead sister. Theo Raeken, who will forever have nightmares of that moment. Theo Raeken, who will never forgive Camden Lahey for not walking Tara to their very door. Theo Raeken, who will be held (or reassured on the phone) by his best friends who will be telling him that it’s just a nightmare, and that it happened in the past, not five minutes ago. Theo Raeken, who will be held by his boyfriend, Liam Dunbar, who will be whispering reassuring words in his ear. Liam’s soft voice in his ear, one of Liam’s hands in Theo’s hair, playing with them, just like the were-coyote likes, Liam’s presence, his anchor, will be keeping him from losing control. Theo’s head will be hidden in his boyfriend’s T-shirt (that he stole from Theo) as Liam will be holding him tighter, allowing Theo to bowl his eyes out until he calms down, or falls asleep again. Theo Raeken, who will forever hate his mother for not listening to him.
Theo walked through the woods, hearing K9s and deputies calling his sister’s name. People who knew Tara more or less. People like Derek and Laura Hale, who knew her from school. (In years to come, Theo will be forever grateful to Derek for helping out, wishing his sister’s fate was different than Theo’s own). However, Theo had his own idea. He went to the bridge that Tara took him many times.
That’s when he found her. Her leg, clearly broken. Her face pale, scary pale. Her body, hair, face wet from water. Hypothermia. Yesterday’s night was the coldest night of the year (the nights tended to be the coldest in January).
Derek and Laura were the first to hear Theo’s bloodcurdling scream telling the supernatural teens that Tara’s gone. Laura was the one to pull Theo out of the water before he went into hypothermic shock himself. (The boy ran into the water, shaking his sister, telling Tara to wake up, and that it was not funny.) Derek refused to cry, even though his eyes burned. (Little did he know that Kate Argent would make him feel like that when she’d burn every Hale, except Derek, Laura, and Peter, who was covered in burns. [And Cora, but he didn’t know that.])
Theo didn’t let go of Laura. Not until Stiles arrived at the station with his dad and hugged Theo.
Deputy Stilinski rushed home to get his son. Theo will need Stiles and Scott more than ever now. Noah knew that neither Jonathan nor Janice were able to be there for their son, both of them grieving. (Jonathan tried, but Janice failed.)
”Dad? You found Tara?” His son asked, and Noah felt tears coming into his eyes. “Oh.” Stiles saddened.
”Theo needs you, Stiles,” the Deputy cleared his throat. The young Stilinski dressed quickly, as Claudia felt tears coming down her cheeks.
Once they leave, Claudia calls Melissa.
Noah and Stiles arrived at the station, and saw Theo bawling his eyes into Laura Hale’s coat, crying out for his sister, his breath shallow. No one knew what to do. Everyone felt sorry for the nine-year-old, who found his sister, dead, in their favorite spot.
Stiles did the only thing he could think of. He grabbed Theo’s inhaler from one of the deputies, and grabbed the boy from Laura’s arms, wrapping Theo with his own like an octopus. Once Theo calmed a little, Stiles gave him his inhaler.
”Breathe.” Stiles said quietly. He wanted Theo to be the only one to hear him. “It will be okay. I’ve got you,” Stiles reassured his friend. (Little did he know, Derek Hale heard it vividly outside the station, holding Paige Krasikeva in his arms, as his girlfriend cried for her friend. Derek cried a little himself.) “We can go to Scott’s, sit in quiet,” Stiles smiled at his friend. Theo nodded and they both got up slowly.
”Thank you.” said Theo quietly to both Stiles and Laura. The girl only smiled at him sadly. Stiles grabbed his hand and pulled Theo to Noah.
”Dad, will you drive us to Scotty’s?”
Theo couldn’t have imagined better friends than Stiles Stilinski and Scott McCall.
four hours later
Melissa drove Theo home from the McCall household. The boy was still sad, but he looked better than this morning. Theo was grateful for his friends. He knew they were also sad, they liked his sister. Yet, they managed to put it away. Their focus was on Theo. He appreciated that. Scott and Stiles were his best friends, his brothers. Theo can only hope to never lose them.
“Theo,” Melissa smiled at him before the boy left the car. “You can always count on me, okay? I just want you to know that. Because I’ve got you. I’m in your corner.” Theo looked at her and nodded.
”I know, Mrs. McCall. Thank you.” He smiled at her. Theo’s head hurt from crying, so it wasn’t his best smile. But he tried. (Scott and Stiles never said anything, but until Theo met Liam, Theo’s smile wasn’t the same. They were so happy to see Theo smile the way he did before Tara’s death.)
”Now, how many times did I tell you to call me Melissa, huh?” she smiled wider. Theo blushed, and Scott’s mom laughed. “I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?” Melissa referred to picking up Theo for school, along with Scott. The boy nodded again.
”See you!” he said while getting out of the car.
”We’re not leaving! Drop it, Janice!” It had been a month since Tara died. Theo’s mom wasn’t talking to him, and the boy is glad, because it was her fault. She ignored his concerns. Maybe if she had listened, Tara would be alive.
A week after Tara’s funeral, his mother started insisting on moving, saying that it is too painful to live in Beacon Hills. Like, seriously? How dare she? On top of that, she’s acting like it’s Theo’s fault. She even told him that he ‘should’ve insisted harder’. That leads to more arguments with her husband, Jonathan, who is mad that she blames their son. Their little boy, who was the one to find Tara. Their little boy, who is going to blame himself even in eight years, when Scott’s new beta, Liam, will find him by the bridge (where Tara died) after a call from a very concerned Scott.
”Well, I am, Jonathan. You need to choose. Him or me.” she said harshly. The man looked at his wife dumbfounded.
”What?” Yes, his wife was many things recently, but he would’ve never thought that she would say something like that.
”Him. Or. Me.” she said.
”Theo. Of course that I’m choosing my son! What the hell, Janice? Oh, and by the way, on your way out, remember that it’s your fault. It will always be your fault.” Jonathan spat out and went to his son’s room.
"Dad? Are you mad at me?" the boy asked as his father sat down next to him.
"Of course not, Theo. It's not your fault." He hugged his son.
2013, Beacon Hills (beginning of season 3B)
Theo woke up covered in sweat. He had a nightmare about that night again. The were-coyote tried to calm down, but he couldn’t. The Raeken boy didn’t want to bother Scott and Stiles, knowing about their problems after dying and coming back. Stiles couldn’t tell reality from a dream, Scott had problems with control. Theo didn’t want to worry them more than he had to.
But when his fangs came out against his will, he reached the phone and called Scott.
”Theo? Are you okay?” Scott picked up the phone after one signal. Damn, he’s fast.
”Sorry, Scott… I just…” Theo tried to breathe.
”Hey, hey, you’re okay. Just breathe, okay? Try to focus on my breathing, okay? Focus your senses.” the True Alpha said. Theo did what he was told to do, successfully calming down after a few minutes.
“Thank you. And I’m really sorry that I woke you up. I know that you’ve been struggling recently, but Stiles can’t sleep lately, and-“
”It’s okay. I’ve got you, Theo. You can call anytime, okay? You’re my brother. You don’t have to be sorry. I’m in your corner, always. Both of us are.” Scott reassured the teen like the giant puppy that he is.
”Thank you.”
“Always.”
Scott stayed on the line until he heard Theo snoring softly.
2016, Beacon Hills (between 6A and 6B)
“Baby, wake up.” this time, Liam kissed his hand. Theo woke up, breathing rapidly. “Hey, handsome. Bad dream?” Liam laid down on Theo’s chest, drawing patterns on it.
“The worst,” Theo said quietly, and that was all that had to be said. The werewolf tangled his fingers with his own, and squeezed them tightly.
“I love you, you know that?” Liam said softly, trying to distract Theo.
”I know.” Theo grinned.
”That’s the part where you say ‘I love you too, puppy’.” Liam scoffed playfully.
”Really? Who said that I do?” the were-coyote grinned.
”You. Like, five hours ago,” the werewolf teen kissed his boyfriend softly.
“Yeah?“ Theo whispered against Liam’s lips. The younger hummed, only to kiss him again.
”I’ve got you, you know that, right?” the shorter asked and pressed his lips to Theo’s in a quick kiss.
”Yea, I know. I love you.”