What Could Have Been [Thiam Rewrites]

Chapter 2: The Fight

Theo had tried to stay awake. He really had, but when knuckles wrapped on the truck window, drawing him from the same nightmare with his sister, he startled. He'd expected a cop to be peering inside his truck, but Scott stared down at him with Malia hovering close behind.

Theo's stomach churned, and he kicked the door open, pushing past Scott and Malia and into the undergrowth. "Theo—?"

"Don't follow me." He'd pulled to the side of the road at the edge of the forest after sunrise, and now he was spewing up his guts over a stupid nightmare.

"You okay?" Scott asked when he returned.

"Yeah, what's up?" Theo demanded, leaning against the truck bed and hating that they could probably smell his panicked fear. He tried to shove it away and kept his attention fixed on Malia since she still looked like she wanted to rip him to shreds.

"Deaton called me this morning. I don't know why you're still in town or why you thought you could just drop by unannounced at Deaton's—"

This was exactly what Theo hadn't wanted. He hadn't wanted Scott to know he was involved at all. He shouldn't have bothered saving the girl.

"It was stupid. I shouldn't have—"

"But I'm glad you did," Scott finished. "I'm not saying I trust you, but if someone is hunting werewolves and has a deputy on their side, then we need all the help we can get."

Theo blinked, his neutral expression slipping for a fraction of a second.

"We're waiting for the girl to wake up, but Deaton said you were there when it happened. Did you get a look at the deputy? It'll be easier if I can give Stilinski a description."

It'd been too dark to see much. "I think she had dark hair," Theo said, "but I didn't get a good look."

"See? What did I tell you?" Malia said. "Not helpful."

"But you saw someone shoot her?" Scott asked.

"Not exactly." When Scott narrowed his eyes, Theo explained that he'd heard the shot and only opened his eyes after the fact. He could've lied, but it wasn't worth the headache if they caught him in it later.

"I told you he was a coward," Malia said, grabbing Scott's shoulder. "C'mon, we're done here."

Scott sighed, shrugging off Malia's hand. "Not yet," he told her. "It's okay. We just have to wait for the girl to wake up. Hopefully she remembers the deputy's face."

"Are we done here?" Theo asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Why, you have somewhere important be?" Malia asked.

Scott shot her a glare before turning his attention back to Theo. "I don't know what your end game is here. I can't promise I'll ever feel comfortable letting you into the pack—"

"Over my dead body," Malia said, eyes blazing like she wouldn't mind ripping his throat out.

Theo raised his hands in defense. "I don't give a shit about being part of your pack. I specifically asked Deaton not to mention that I was involved."

"Then you don't want to help?"

"No. I don't."

"I told you this was a waste of time," Malia grumbled. "If you're this worried about it, I'll go by the school and keep an eye on Liam."

"Liam?" the name was out of Theo's mouth before he could stop it.

Scott nodded. "I'm worried something might happen at school today after last night."