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Teen Wolf: Time Episode 3
"Esotericism"
Softly awakening, Isaac Lahey opened his eyes. He was comfortable, and was thrilled to be back in his own bed. He looked around him. To his horror, he realised that this wasn’t his bedroom, and he wasn’t in his own bed. All he saw was white. No defining features, no details, just plain white all around him.
“Scott? Malia?” he called out, his voice echoing across the nameless place.
“Where the heck am I?” he thought aloud, sat cold and alone.
“Scott? Malia?” he called out, his voice echoing across the nameless place.
“Where the heck am I?” he thought aloud, sat cold and alone.
Guest Stars: Melissa Ponzio, JR Bourne, Seth Gilliam, Cody Christian, Kaj Nieuwenhoff, Nick Robinson, Natalia Dyer, Harry Visinoni and Paige Turco.
The pack was splintered. The next morning, none of them were talking to each other. Not a word had been said either in person or via their mobile phones. It was too painful to talk, and small talk somehow didn’t feel appropriate. Liam had numerous missed calls on his phone from Nolan, but after barely sleeping following the night before, he wasn’t in the mood. Nolan hadn’t even been told about Isaac – they barely knew each other anyway but nobody had thought to tell him. Scott assumed Liam had told him, but Liam could bear to pick up the phone and utter those words. Scott himself was sat on the sofa. He’d been considering texting Maddie to apologise for the day before, but it didn’t feel like the most pressing issue at that point. Maddie felt similarly, cuddled up with Casey on Argent’s sofa. Both were feeling shaken and at a loss, for similar reasons. Archie was in Casey’s bed, having slept separate for the whole night. Casey wasn’t in the best of moods with him after the mountain ash debacle. Lydia spent the night over at Malia’s, but Malia didn’t want to see anyone. Stood outside the door, Lydia politely knocked, but the sound of Malia’s tears told her all she needed to know.
Isaac’s body was being kept by Deaton for the time being. Until they knew more, they didn’t want to do anything drastic. Deaton had double-checked all the vital signs, but it was real. Isaac was dead, and there was nothing he could do to save him. Theo watched on as Deaton laid Isaac’s body out on the operating table. It was an odd sight – seeing someone he knew laid dead in front of him. He wasn’t used to grief. He’d killed before, the proof was in his pale blue eyes, but finally he felt like he belonged. He’d barely said a word to Isaac, but everyone in the pack cared for each other, and that warmed his heart.
“Hey sweetie” Joanna popped her head round Liam’s bedroom door. Liam didn’t respond, so Joanna walked in and perched herself on the edge of Liam’s bed.
“It’s okay to be upset” she explained, “Isaac was your friend. You’ve got all of the memories.”
“He’s not here though, is he?” Liam was angry, but not at Joanna, “I want him to come back. I want everything back to how it was.”
“I know” Joanna calmly responded, bringing Liam in for a gentle, warm hug. Liam was crying in her arms, but he appreciated the comfort. It wasn’t often that he cried, but he couldn’t help it at this point.
“Hey, I know what might cheer you up. How about your favourite meal tonight?” Joanna tried to lift the mood, “You can bring a friend over too. How about that Nolan fella? He seems nice.” Joanna still wasn’t in-the-know about Nolan and Liam’s relationship. She’d simply picked up on the fact that they seemed to be spending a lot of time together.
“Huh?” Liam didn’t seem so sure, but when he thought about it, it wasn’t such a bad idea, “Okay, that sounds great. Thank you.” He smiled for the first time that day.
Having sparked out for the night, Stiles seemed to be the only one to get a decent night’s sleep. He was snoring, mouth wide open, diagonally on his bed.
“Stiles” Argent complained. He’d not slept all night, having searched through the several hundred-page bestiary, while Stiles dozed off and left him to it. Stiles didn’t respond to his call, still asleep.
“Stiles!” Argent yelled. Stiles leapt out of his skin, immediately getting into defensive mode.
“What? Who?” he said immediately, before settling down.
“I hope you’ve had a nice rest while some of us have been working” Argent sarcastically remarked.
“Slept like a baby, thanks” Stiles joked, “Any news from Scott?”
“Unfortunately not” Argent replied, “Not a peep out of anyone since we left.”
“No news is good news?” Stiles suggested, optimistically but innocently, “What about you? Did the bestiary tell you anything?”
“There’s an entire article on Father Time. It doesn’t specify exactly what he is, nobody seems to have any idea, but one of my ancestors ran into him many years ago” Argent explained.
“Alright, so how do we stop it?” Stiles queried.
“It says that he takes his victims into a different plane, somewhere other than the world we know” Argent continued.
“I assume we’re not talking Easyjet” Stiles joked.
“A plane is a state of consciousness above and beyond the physical universe” Argent detailed.
“Like the ghost riders?” Stiles linked.
“Similar, yes, although the difference is that Father Time leaves the bodies of his victims in our world, so they’d appear dead even if they aren’t. That could be a huge issue to people who aren’t in the know” Argent mentioned. That sent a shiver down Stiles’ spine. The idea of dead people not actually being dead, but being disposed of nevertheless, horrified him.
“We gotta tell Scott” Stiles instinctively said.
Walking in from the kitchen, Melissa had prepared Scott a couple of slices of toast and jam. She hadn’t heard a peep out of him all day, understandably, so she wanted to try her best to cheer him up even a little bit.
“Come on sweetie, you’ve got to eat something” Melissa said, placing the plate on the coffee table in the living room.
“No thanks” Scott politely declined. Melissa sat next to him, and put a comforting arm around her son.
“I thought it would be easier this time” Scott opened up, “I’ve lost people before, I thought I’d be alright if it happened again.”
“It never gets easier honey” Melissa responded, “Every time, it hits you like a brick. What you learn more and more each time is how to pick yourself back up. Life went on after Allison, and it will without Isaac too.” She pulled him in for a warm hug, knowing that was what Scott needed more than anything in that moment.
Cuddled up together on the sofa, Casey and Maddie were enjoying each other’s company. They were both warmly snuggled up under a blanket, with no TV or radio as a distraction. They didn’t even have to say a word to each other, but their feelings were similar. Obviously they were in shock about Isaac. Having known each other for so long, both of them had a good sense of each other’s feelings. Breaking the silence, and hoping to discuss something other than Isaac, Maddie wanted to find the underlying cause of Casey’s situation.
“What happened between you both?” she questioned. Her query was vague, but Casey didn’t need specifics to know what she meant.
“It all happened so fast” Casey recalled, “He wasn’t thinking. He was completely oblivious to anything around him.”
“Casey, I’m not trying to intervene or tell you how to live your life, and you know I’m saying this as your best friend, right?” Maddie began, “But don’t you think that was an innocent mistake? He wasn’t to know. He still doesn’t know everything, does he?”
“A mistake that could’ve been prevented quite easily” Casey added, “But you’re right I guess. I just…need to let the dust settle. Then I’ll explain everything” Maddie nodded.
“What about you? I noticed things weren’t so great between you and Scott when I arrived” Casey interrogated, without wanting to sound intrusive.
“He misunderstood something I said, about Allison, you know, his ex-girlfriend who died” Maddie explained.
“Ouch. Think he’ll come round?”
“Probably. I just…” Maddie considered her wording, “…don’t want to be second billing to a girl who’s dead. I don’t mean to sound insensitive, I get that it’s difficult. I’ve lost people too and it hurts like hell. Scott still seems to love her though, he speaks so highly of her all the time, I bet he wouldn’t say any of that about me.”
“He’s head over heels for you Maddie” Casey responded, offering an optimistic view, “Sure, Allison was his first love and I’m sure you remember how special that felt for you. He’d be stupid to let go of what he’s got in the present because of what happened in the past. He’s damn lucky to have you.” Maddie blushed. Those words were exactly what she needed to hear. Now all she needed was for Scott to say them…
Perched at a desk in the library, the news had started to filter through to Nolan. Liam had responded to his calls at last, informing him of both good and bad news. While he didn’t know Isaac very well, the news hit him hard. It could easily have been any one of them in that moment. He’d broken the news to Daan, Becky and Cody. Cody and Becky were shocked, even though they knew Isaac even less than Nolan did, but there was no reaction from Daan. Nolan assumed he either wasn’t listening, or was simply in shock. On the bright side, Liam had asked him round at lunchtime to meet his mum. Whilst nervous, Nolan was excited at the prospect of a distraction from everything that had happened.
Nolan wasn’t wrong – Daan wasn’t paying attention. He was staring straight ahead, but not taking in anything from his senses. All he could think about was last night. The second he heard about Isaac, he knew his time was numbered, and it scared him to the core. However, he could see Nolan had taken the news to heart, and didn’t want to load him up with anything more. Not yet, anyway. Almost on cue, there he was. The ghostly figure, peeping from behind one of the many bookcases. It approached him, slowly but surely, and Daan couldn’t conceal his panic. He jumped out of his seat, and sprinted towards the exit. He sped out into the corridors, rushing past both students and staff, until he reached the boys’ toilets. Terrified, a shaken Daan locked himself in a cubicle, hoping he’d be safe there.
Opting to explore further, Isaac tried taking a few steps. He was unsure of where he could and couldn’t step as there was no indicator. It’s hard to tell when everything is a plain white colour.
I can’t just stand here forever, Isaac thought to himself. He took the plunge and stepped forward, with one foot only at first. He pressed his right foot ten centimetres ahead of himself. Whatever he was standing on, it felt solid, so he moved his left foot too. Cautiously, he took another step. And another. It all seemed to be the same surface, but Isaac never lost his sense of caution. He picked up the pace, hoping to explore further. He didn’t see anything in the distance, but considering everything was the same colour, that wasn’t surprise. However, he had hope. Maybe some people or buildings were out of view? Or hidden by fog? He was determined to find out more.
I can’t be the only person here, right? he told himself.
Gently knocking twice on her bedroom door, Lydia had taken it upon herself to enter Malia’s room. She was careful not to look intrusive or nosey, but she was genuinely concerned about her friend.
“Room for a little one?” Lydia chirped as she opened the door. Malia hadn’t moved all day. She was still underneath her duvet covers, not wanting to move.
“Sure” Malia sounded almost cheerful as she spoke for the first time all day. Lydia sat on the edge of the bed, and wiped a tear away from Malia’s cheek.
“I’ll tell you what you need” Lydia began, attempting to distract Malia briefly, “Retail therapy. It never fails.” Malia laughed gently, forgetting Isaac for a second.
“I’m not sure I’d be the best company” Malia responded.
“You’re not wrong” Lydia grinned, “But I’ve had worse. Jackson was never much fun around the shops. Stiles isn’t much better.” Malia smiled. She appreciated that Lydia hadn’t asked how she felt. Malia was never very good at opening up about her feelings, and this was no different.
“Come on, we’ve got work to do” Lydia stood up and held a hand out. Malia grabbed it, and Lydia pulled her out of bed and towards the door.
“Wait” Malia shouted. Lydia spun round, wondering what the issue was.
“I’m in my dressing gown” Malia mentioned. Lydia laughed, and shut the door for her to get changed.
Following his friend, Cody was determined to figure out why Daan had run off. He, Becky and Nolan were in the middle of a conversation, while Daan looked like he wasn’t paying much attention. All of a sudden, Daan looked as if he were running away from something – but nothing was there. He’d sprinted from thin air. It was unusual to say the least, and Cody knew he had to see what’s up. He didn’t see where Daan had gone, but Nolan had directed him. After all, his super-scent powers could be pretty useful. Cody followed Daan into the boys’ toilets, and knocked on the locked cubicle door.
“Dude, what’s up?” Cody queried, sympathetically.
“Don’t worry about me Cody, go back to the others” Daan tried to shrug him off, the door remaining shut.
“You know I’m not going anywhere” Cody responded firmly, “Not unless you’re coming with me.”
“You sound like a teacher” Daan noted, his sense of humour not lost.
“Not sure whether to be complimented or insulted. Besides, Nolan’s gone to get ready for his hot date and I think Becky’s busy snogging Theo’s face off” Cody smiled, before returning to the subject, “You saw him, didn’t you?” Daan knew he couldn’t hide it anymore.
“I don’t want to die” he confessed, as the tone shifted from jovial to sombre.
“Nolan’s just spoken to Scott, mountain ash seemed to work against Father Time. Isaac only lost his life because of Casey’s boyfriend being a dumbass” Cody explained. He heard the lock on the door click. Daan opened the cubicle door, and stood face-to-face with his friend.
“We’ll help, I promise” Cody offered a friendly smile.
“I made you a cuppa each” Archie said from the doorway of the living room. Argent hadn’t returned home yet, and Casey and Maddie hadn’t moved from the sofa still. Wanting to offer an olive branch, Archie made them both a cup of tea. It was the least he could do – a peace offering.
“Thanks, just pop them on the table” Maddie responded. Casey stayed silent, but Maddie nudged him.
“Thanks” Casey repeated with a smile. Archie couldn’t tell if the smile was genuine or not, but he assumed the latter.
“I know it won’t change anything, but I truly am sorry, and I won’t stop trying to make up for it” Archie said his piece, before leaving the room.
“That was your chance” Maddie whispered after he left.
“I can’t get it out of my head. If he’d stayed out of the way, Isaac would be safe behind the mountain ash” Casey debated.
“Anything could’ve broken that seal. Mountain ash is only good enough temporarily, we’ve seen things break through it before. Archie’s mistake only sped up the inevitable” Maddie reasoned. Casey took a moment to think. Maddie wasn’t wrong, and he knew it.
“Alright. I’ll talk to him” he decided.
Having called a meeting at the animal clinic, Scott was stood with Stiles, Argent, Theo and Deaton. With the commotion that made up the night before, Scott had forgotten to text Stiles and pass on the news about Isaac. This was the first thing he did at the meeting – Argent in particular was owed a proper explanation. He felt awful for not calling them sooner, but both Stiles and Argent understood. Considering their close connection, Scott was surprised that Argent’s reaction was so muted. Stiles didn’t look particularly phased, either.
“Am I missing something? Why are you both so calm?” Scott questioned, totally confused.
“We’ve got a lead. It’s not a solution yet, but it’s super important” Stiles clarified, “Isaac’s not dead. He’s just appearing dead. That’s what Father Time does. His consciousness is in another, err, what did you call it?” He looked at Argent.
“Plane” Argent finished, “A different state of existence beyond our world.” Scott felt a fire burning inside him. He suddenly felt motivated, as well as a huge sense of relief.
“So how do we get to him?” Theo asked.
“Like we said, we don’t have a solution yet, but we’re one step closer” Stiles informed.
“Let’s get to work” came a voice from the door. The group turned to look. It was Malia, dressed ready for action, with Lydia stood a step behind.
Stood on Liam’s doorstep, Nolan was nervous. He was excited to see Liam, just like he always was, but the thought of meeting his mum was terrifying. What made it worse was that Joanna knew nothing about…well, anything he and Liam had in common really. She wasn’t aware of the supernatural world, or their relationship, so what was there to talk about? Nolan wishes he’d paid more attention to the TV the night before. Cautiously, he buzzed the doorbell. Liam opened the door, with a friendly smile.
“Hey, come in” Liam greeted, “I’m glad you’re here. My mom’s in a weird mood.”
“Weird how?” Nolan wasn’t thrilled to hear this news.
“She’s being super friendly. I think she’s desperate to make a good impression. She’s hoovered the dining room twice today. Just act cool” Liam warned.
“You telling me to act cool makes me not want to act cool” Nolan responded, now even more anxious.
“Hey Nolan, nice to see you” Joanna arrived from the kitchen, “Dinner’s almost ready, if you want to take a seat at the table.” Liam and Nolan didn’t argue. They approached the compact dining table. It was square, with four places laid out. Only three were needed on a regular basis – Liam lived with Joanna and his stepdad, so they rarely needed a bigger table. Nolan perched himself next to Liam, opposite where Joanna was intending to sit – her glass of wine on the table was a giveaway.
“Relax” Liam told him. Nolan’s nerves were high. He always felt calm around Liam. They’d talked a lot about anchors, and Liam was definitely his, but this was a new scenario. He wasn’t comfortable yet. He had met Joanna before, but not in a situation like this.
“Sorry” Nolan responded, “I’m just struggling a bit at the moment. You know, with control.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve hidden it from mom so many times” Liam explained, “I’ll keep my eye out. Please, don’t feel uncomfortable.” Liam smiled a gentle smile, one that instantly put Nolan at ease.
“Room for a small one?” Casey was chirpy as he peeped round his bedroom door. Archie was sat in the middle of his bed, curled up into a ball.
“Sure” Archie responded, not sounding too enthusiastic. He was expecting an earful from Casey. Acknowledging the response, Casey entered and positioned himself next to Archie. Both their backs were against the wall, and Casey’s legs stretched out across the width of the bed. They had a small gap between them, which Casey was keen to maintain until he could get a sense of the vibe between him and Archie.
“I’m sorry. I overreacted, it wasn’t your fault” Casey began.
“It’s alright” Archie was mellow in his response, “I just don’t understand anything that happened. Who killed Isaac? What was he? I only know half the story and I suspect you know more. What can’t you tell me?” Casey took a deep breath. He knew he had to tell Archie the full story. He wasn’t worried about the explanation, he’d told this story more than once before. He was more concerned about the reaction he’d get from Archie…
Despite the motivation to rescue Isaac being as high as possible for the pack, none of them had any bright ideas for how they might rescue him.
“There must be some kind of portal, right?” Lydia theorised, “If Father Time is able to transport himself between this plane and that, he must be have a form of transportation.”
“If we can figure that out, we can get there too and rescue Isaac” Scott added.
“Oh yeah, I’ll just ring Father Time and ask him how he gets to and from” Stiles sarcastically responded. Lydia raised an eyebrow, curious as to whether he had anything more valuable to offer. Stiles continued, “All I’m saying is that it won’t be so easy. We know very little about him still. Maybe we can set up a trap?”
“How would we do that? Like you say, we know so little about him” Malia mentioned. She was frustrated at how there wasn’t a clear solution, “We need to find out what he wants. Then we can tempt him with it, and trap him.”
“What does a body-snatching old man with a watch want?” Scott wondered, half-serious.
“What does anything want?” Theo jumped in, “To survive. That’s always a good place to start. Everything wants to survive, and if this guy’s existed since the middle ages but has only started showing up now, it makes sense.”
“It’s the best idea we’ve got” Scott was impressed with Theo’s suggestion, “One more question though. How would Isaac help him survive? What does Isaac in particular have?”
“Healing” Argent suggested.
“Isaac’s not the only one round here with healing powers, why him in particular?” Lydia queried. All of a sudden, she had a brainwave, “Unless he’s just the first.”
“No time to stand around, let’s get to work on this trap” Scott said, motivating the group, “Stiles and Lydia, maybe you two could investigate my house? The scene of the crime and all that.”
“Looking for clues” Stiles added, “We’re like Fred and Daphne.”
“I think you’re more Scooby” Lydia joked. Her light-heartedness quickly turned cold, however, as if she’d felt someone walk over her grave. She froze on the spot.
“Lydia, are you OK?” Stiles asked, instantly noticing the shift in her facial expression.
“He’s back” Lydia said, coldly and bluntly. Stiles felt a shiver down his spine, now deeply concerned about who would be next…
Liam made sure to keep an eye on Nolan throughout the meal. He smiled at him all the time. This wasn’t out of the ordinary for Liam. He always smiled when he saw Nolan. Even though they were going through a tough time with Isaac’s disappearance, Nolan kept him happy and gave him a reason to smile.
“So Nolan, have you always lived in Beacon Hills?” Joanna politely asked, hoping to make conversation.
“Yeah, I grew up here. My parents are from Mexico, but moved here a couple of years before I was born” Nolan explained, trying to keep a calm persona. He was shaking a little as he attempted to pick up his glass of lemonade. Deciding it’d be too risky, he put the cup back down on the table without taking a sip, leaving his dry mouth unquenched.
“I see, so do you know Spanish? I had a friend who grew up in Mexico and she tried to teach me some, but it’s been a long while now” Joanna recalled.
“Mom, why all the questions?” Liam asked, conscious of Nolan’s nerves. Liam looked over at Nolan, who was staring intensely down at his lap. Taking a closer look, Liam spotted a hint of blood. Instantly, he knew what to do.
“Nolan, the bathroom’s this way” Liam said, covering up the story for Joanna. However, what he’d really seen was the gruesome sight of Nolan digging his claws into his leg. Nolan listened to him, and followed Liam straight out of the dining room. Joanna was left behind on her own, sat in silence, confused about what had just happened.
“I’ll take you to Scott, he’ll have an idea, Nolan said he’s good at that kinda thing” Cody was talking. Daan was following just a couple of steps behind. They were on their way out of school – it was lunchtime anyway, but lessons didn’t feel so important right now. Daan didn’t feel like saying much, but he was following Cody’s every step.
“You’d think they’d have a plan anyway, after what happened with Isaac. It can’t happen again, right?” Cody continued rambling. He felt a draught on his face, but he assumed someone had left the doors open.
“Damn, it’s windy outside. Winter time I guess” Cody kept talking. He hoped Daan might respond, but understood why he wasn’t. The draught continued for thirty seconds, and Cody kept talking, about anything and everything that could keep Daan’s mind away from Father Time. As they reached the entrance, Cody turned around.
“Alright, we’re gonna go…” and he trailed off. Daan wasn’t in sight. Cody panicked. His heart started beating like crazy, and his breathing increased rapidly.
“Daan!” he called out. No response. He repeated. And again. And again. Each time, no response. Cody wan up and down the corridors, checking all of the rooms they passed on the way, but no sign of Daan anywhere…
Isaac’s body was being kept by Deaton for the time being. Until they knew more, they didn’t want to do anything drastic. Deaton had double-checked all the vital signs, but it was real. Isaac was dead, and there was nothing he could do to save him. Theo watched on as Deaton laid Isaac’s body out on the operating table. It was an odd sight – seeing someone he knew laid dead in front of him. He wasn’t used to grief. He’d killed before, the proof was in his pale blue eyes, but finally he felt like he belonged. He’d barely said a word to Isaac, but everyone in the pack cared for each other, and that warmed his heart.
“Hey sweetie” Joanna popped her head round Liam’s bedroom door. Liam didn’t respond, so Joanna walked in and perched herself on the edge of Liam’s bed.
“It’s okay to be upset” she explained, “Isaac was your friend. You’ve got all of the memories.”
“He’s not here though, is he?” Liam was angry, but not at Joanna, “I want him to come back. I want everything back to how it was.”
“I know” Joanna calmly responded, bringing Liam in for a gentle, warm hug. Liam was crying in her arms, but he appreciated the comfort. It wasn’t often that he cried, but he couldn’t help it at this point.
“Hey, I know what might cheer you up. How about your favourite meal tonight?” Joanna tried to lift the mood, “You can bring a friend over too. How about that Nolan fella? He seems nice.” Joanna still wasn’t in-the-know about Nolan and Liam’s relationship. She’d simply picked up on the fact that they seemed to be spending a lot of time together.
“Huh?” Liam didn’t seem so sure, but when he thought about it, it wasn’t such a bad idea, “Okay, that sounds great. Thank you.” He smiled for the first time that day.
Having sparked out for the night, Stiles seemed to be the only one to get a decent night’s sleep. He was snoring, mouth wide open, diagonally on his bed.
“Stiles” Argent complained. He’d not slept all night, having searched through the several hundred-page bestiary, while Stiles dozed off and left him to it. Stiles didn’t respond to his call, still asleep.
“Stiles!” Argent yelled. Stiles leapt out of his skin, immediately getting into defensive mode.
“What? Who?” he said immediately, before settling down.
“I hope you’ve had a nice rest while some of us have been working” Argent sarcastically remarked.
“Slept like a baby, thanks” Stiles joked, “Any news from Scott?”
“Unfortunately not” Argent replied, “Not a peep out of anyone since we left.”
“No news is good news?” Stiles suggested, optimistically but innocently, “What about you? Did the bestiary tell you anything?”
“There’s an entire article on Father Time. It doesn’t specify exactly what he is, nobody seems to have any idea, but one of my ancestors ran into him many years ago” Argent explained.
“Alright, so how do we stop it?” Stiles queried.
“It says that he takes his victims into a different plane, somewhere other than the world we know” Argent continued.
“I assume we’re not talking Easyjet” Stiles joked.
“A plane is a state of consciousness above and beyond the physical universe” Argent detailed.
“Like the ghost riders?” Stiles linked.
“Similar, yes, although the difference is that Father Time leaves the bodies of his victims in our world, so they’d appear dead even if they aren’t. That could be a huge issue to people who aren’t in the know” Argent mentioned. That sent a shiver down Stiles’ spine. The idea of dead people not actually being dead, but being disposed of nevertheless, horrified him.
“We gotta tell Scott” Stiles instinctively said.
Walking in from the kitchen, Melissa had prepared Scott a couple of slices of toast and jam. She hadn’t heard a peep out of him all day, understandably, so she wanted to try her best to cheer him up even a little bit.
“Come on sweetie, you’ve got to eat something” Melissa said, placing the plate on the coffee table in the living room.
“No thanks” Scott politely declined. Melissa sat next to him, and put a comforting arm around her son.
“I thought it would be easier this time” Scott opened up, “I’ve lost people before, I thought I’d be alright if it happened again.”
“It never gets easier honey” Melissa responded, “Every time, it hits you like a brick. What you learn more and more each time is how to pick yourself back up. Life went on after Allison, and it will without Isaac too.” She pulled him in for a warm hug, knowing that was what Scott needed more than anything in that moment.
Cuddled up together on the sofa, Casey and Maddie were enjoying each other’s company. They were both warmly snuggled up under a blanket, with no TV or radio as a distraction. They didn’t even have to say a word to each other, but their feelings were similar. Obviously they were in shock about Isaac. Having known each other for so long, both of them had a good sense of each other’s feelings. Breaking the silence, and hoping to discuss something other than Isaac, Maddie wanted to find the underlying cause of Casey’s situation.
“What happened between you both?” she questioned. Her query was vague, but Casey didn’t need specifics to know what she meant.
“It all happened so fast” Casey recalled, “He wasn’t thinking. He was completely oblivious to anything around him.”
“Casey, I’m not trying to intervene or tell you how to live your life, and you know I’m saying this as your best friend, right?” Maddie began, “But don’t you think that was an innocent mistake? He wasn’t to know. He still doesn’t know everything, does he?”
“A mistake that could’ve been prevented quite easily” Casey added, “But you’re right I guess. I just…need to let the dust settle. Then I’ll explain everything” Maddie nodded.
“What about you? I noticed things weren’t so great between you and Scott when I arrived” Casey interrogated, without wanting to sound intrusive.
“He misunderstood something I said, about Allison, you know, his ex-girlfriend who died” Maddie explained.
“Ouch. Think he’ll come round?”
“Probably. I just…” Maddie considered her wording, “…don’t want to be second billing to a girl who’s dead. I don’t mean to sound insensitive, I get that it’s difficult. I’ve lost people too and it hurts like hell. Scott still seems to love her though, he speaks so highly of her all the time, I bet he wouldn’t say any of that about me.”
“He’s head over heels for you Maddie” Casey responded, offering an optimistic view, “Sure, Allison was his first love and I’m sure you remember how special that felt for you. He’d be stupid to let go of what he’s got in the present because of what happened in the past. He’s damn lucky to have you.” Maddie blushed. Those words were exactly what she needed to hear. Now all she needed was for Scott to say them…
Perched at a desk in the library, the news had started to filter through to Nolan. Liam had responded to his calls at last, informing him of both good and bad news. While he didn’t know Isaac very well, the news hit him hard. It could easily have been any one of them in that moment. He’d broken the news to Daan, Becky and Cody. Cody and Becky were shocked, even though they knew Isaac even less than Nolan did, but there was no reaction from Daan. Nolan assumed he either wasn’t listening, or was simply in shock. On the bright side, Liam had asked him round at lunchtime to meet his mum. Whilst nervous, Nolan was excited at the prospect of a distraction from everything that had happened.
Nolan wasn’t wrong – Daan wasn’t paying attention. He was staring straight ahead, but not taking in anything from his senses. All he could think about was last night. The second he heard about Isaac, he knew his time was numbered, and it scared him to the core. However, he could see Nolan had taken the news to heart, and didn’t want to load him up with anything more. Not yet, anyway. Almost on cue, there he was. The ghostly figure, peeping from behind one of the many bookcases. It approached him, slowly but surely, and Daan couldn’t conceal his panic. He jumped out of his seat, and sprinted towards the exit. He sped out into the corridors, rushing past both students and staff, until he reached the boys’ toilets. Terrified, a shaken Daan locked himself in a cubicle, hoping he’d be safe there.
Opting to explore further, Isaac tried taking a few steps. He was unsure of where he could and couldn’t step as there was no indicator. It’s hard to tell when everything is a plain white colour.
I can’t just stand here forever, Isaac thought to himself. He took the plunge and stepped forward, with one foot only at first. He pressed his right foot ten centimetres ahead of himself. Whatever he was standing on, it felt solid, so he moved his left foot too. Cautiously, he took another step. And another. It all seemed to be the same surface, but Isaac never lost his sense of caution. He picked up the pace, hoping to explore further. He didn’t see anything in the distance, but considering everything was the same colour, that wasn’t surprise. However, he had hope. Maybe some people or buildings were out of view? Or hidden by fog? He was determined to find out more.
I can’t be the only person here, right? he told himself.
Gently knocking twice on her bedroom door, Lydia had taken it upon herself to enter Malia’s room. She was careful not to look intrusive or nosey, but she was genuinely concerned about her friend.
“Room for a little one?” Lydia chirped as she opened the door. Malia hadn’t moved all day. She was still underneath her duvet covers, not wanting to move.
“Sure” Malia sounded almost cheerful as she spoke for the first time all day. Lydia sat on the edge of the bed, and wiped a tear away from Malia’s cheek.
“I’ll tell you what you need” Lydia began, attempting to distract Malia briefly, “Retail therapy. It never fails.” Malia laughed gently, forgetting Isaac for a second.
“I’m not sure I’d be the best company” Malia responded.
“You’re not wrong” Lydia grinned, “But I’ve had worse. Jackson was never much fun around the shops. Stiles isn’t much better.” Malia smiled. She appreciated that Lydia hadn’t asked how she felt. Malia was never very good at opening up about her feelings, and this was no different.
“Come on, we’ve got work to do” Lydia stood up and held a hand out. Malia grabbed it, and Lydia pulled her out of bed and towards the door.
“Wait” Malia shouted. Lydia spun round, wondering what the issue was.
“I’m in my dressing gown” Malia mentioned. Lydia laughed, and shut the door for her to get changed.
Following his friend, Cody was determined to figure out why Daan had run off. He, Becky and Nolan were in the middle of a conversation, while Daan looked like he wasn’t paying much attention. All of a sudden, Daan looked as if he were running away from something – but nothing was there. He’d sprinted from thin air. It was unusual to say the least, and Cody knew he had to see what’s up. He didn’t see where Daan had gone, but Nolan had directed him. After all, his super-scent powers could be pretty useful. Cody followed Daan into the boys’ toilets, and knocked on the locked cubicle door.
“Dude, what’s up?” Cody queried, sympathetically.
“Don’t worry about me Cody, go back to the others” Daan tried to shrug him off, the door remaining shut.
“You know I’m not going anywhere” Cody responded firmly, “Not unless you’re coming with me.”
“You sound like a teacher” Daan noted, his sense of humour not lost.
“Not sure whether to be complimented or insulted. Besides, Nolan’s gone to get ready for his hot date and I think Becky’s busy snogging Theo’s face off” Cody smiled, before returning to the subject, “You saw him, didn’t you?” Daan knew he couldn’t hide it anymore.
“I don’t want to die” he confessed, as the tone shifted from jovial to sombre.
“Nolan’s just spoken to Scott, mountain ash seemed to work against Father Time. Isaac only lost his life because of Casey’s boyfriend being a dumbass” Cody explained. He heard the lock on the door click. Daan opened the cubicle door, and stood face-to-face with his friend.
“We’ll help, I promise” Cody offered a friendly smile.
“I made you a cuppa each” Archie said from the doorway of the living room. Argent hadn’t returned home yet, and Casey and Maddie hadn’t moved from the sofa still. Wanting to offer an olive branch, Archie made them both a cup of tea. It was the least he could do – a peace offering.
“Thanks, just pop them on the table” Maddie responded. Casey stayed silent, but Maddie nudged him.
“Thanks” Casey repeated with a smile. Archie couldn’t tell if the smile was genuine or not, but he assumed the latter.
“I know it won’t change anything, but I truly am sorry, and I won’t stop trying to make up for it” Archie said his piece, before leaving the room.
“That was your chance” Maddie whispered after he left.
“I can’t get it out of my head. If he’d stayed out of the way, Isaac would be safe behind the mountain ash” Casey debated.
“Anything could’ve broken that seal. Mountain ash is only good enough temporarily, we’ve seen things break through it before. Archie’s mistake only sped up the inevitable” Maddie reasoned. Casey took a moment to think. Maddie wasn’t wrong, and he knew it.
“Alright. I’ll talk to him” he decided.
Having called a meeting at the animal clinic, Scott was stood with Stiles, Argent, Theo and Deaton. With the commotion that made up the night before, Scott had forgotten to text Stiles and pass on the news about Isaac. This was the first thing he did at the meeting – Argent in particular was owed a proper explanation. He felt awful for not calling them sooner, but both Stiles and Argent understood. Considering their close connection, Scott was surprised that Argent’s reaction was so muted. Stiles didn’t look particularly phased, either.
“Am I missing something? Why are you both so calm?” Scott questioned, totally confused.
“We’ve got a lead. It’s not a solution yet, but it’s super important” Stiles clarified, “Isaac’s not dead. He’s just appearing dead. That’s what Father Time does. His consciousness is in another, err, what did you call it?” He looked at Argent.
“Plane” Argent finished, “A different state of existence beyond our world.” Scott felt a fire burning inside him. He suddenly felt motivated, as well as a huge sense of relief.
“So how do we get to him?” Theo asked.
“Like we said, we don’t have a solution yet, but we’re one step closer” Stiles informed.
“Let’s get to work” came a voice from the door. The group turned to look. It was Malia, dressed ready for action, with Lydia stood a step behind.
Stood on Liam’s doorstep, Nolan was nervous. He was excited to see Liam, just like he always was, but the thought of meeting his mum was terrifying. What made it worse was that Joanna knew nothing about…well, anything he and Liam had in common really. She wasn’t aware of the supernatural world, or their relationship, so what was there to talk about? Nolan wishes he’d paid more attention to the TV the night before. Cautiously, he buzzed the doorbell. Liam opened the door, with a friendly smile.
“Hey, come in” Liam greeted, “I’m glad you’re here. My mom’s in a weird mood.”
“Weird how?” Nolan wasn’t thrilled to hear this news.
“She’s being super friendly. I think she’s desperate to make a good impression. She’s hoovered the dining room twice today. Just act cool” Liam warned.
“You telling me to act cool makes me not want to act cool” Nolan responded, now even more anxious.
“Hey Nolan, nice to see you” Joanna arrived from the kitchen, “Dinner’s almost ready, if you want to take a seat at the table.” Liam and Nolan didn’t argue. They approached the compact dining table. It was square, with four places laid out. Only three were needed on a regular basis – Liam lived with Joanna and his stepdad, so they rarely needed a bigger table. Nolan perched himself next to Liam, opposite where Joanna was intending to sit – her glass of wine on the table was a giveaway.
“Relax” Liam told him. Nolan’s nerves were high. He always felt calm around Liam. They’d talked a lot about anchors, and Liam was definitely his, but this was a new scenario. He wasn’t comfortable yet. He had met Joanna before, but not in a situation like this.
“Sorry” Nolan responded, “I’m just struggling a bit at the moment. You know, with control.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve hidden it from mom so many times” Liam explained, “I’ll keep my eye out. Please, don’t feel uncomfortable.” Liam smiled a gentle smile, one that instantly put Nolan at ease.
“Room for a small one?” Casey was chirpy as he peeped round his bedroom door. Archie was sat in the middle of his bed, curled up into a ball.
“Sure” Archie responded, not sounding too enthusiastic. He was expecting an earful from Casey. Acknowledging the response, Casey entered and positioned himself next to Archie. Both their backs were against the wall, and Casey’s legs stretched out across the width of the bed. They had a small gap between them, which Casey was keen to maintain until he could get a sense of the vibe between him and Archie.
“I’m sorry. I overreacted, it wasn’t your fault” Casey began.
“It’s alright” Archie was mellow in his response, “I just don’t understand anything that happened. Who killed Isaac? What was he? I only know half the story and I suspect you know more. What can’t you tell me?” Casey took a deep breath. He knew he had to tell Archie the full story. He wasn’t worried about the explanation, he’d told this story more than once before. He was more concerned about the reaction he’d get from Archie…
Despite the motivation to rescue Isaac being as high as possible for the pack, none of them had any bright ideas for how they might rescue him.
“There must be some kind of portal, right?” Lydia theorised, “If Father Time is able to transport himself between this plane and that, he must be have a form of transportation.”
“If we can figure that out, we can get there too and rescue Isaac” Scott added.
“Oh yeah, I’ll just ring Father Time and ask him how he gets to and from” Stiles sarcastically responded. Lydia raised an eyebrow, curious as to whether he had anything more valuable to offer. Stiles continued, “All I’m saying is that it won’t be so easy. We know very little about him still. Maybe we can set up a trap?”
“How would we do that? Like you say, we know so little about him” Malia mentioned. She was frustrated at how there wasn’t a clear solution, “We need to find out what he wants. Then we can tempt him with it, and trap him.”
“What does a body-snatching old man with a watch want?” Scott wondered, half-serious.
“What does anything want?” Theo jumped in, “To survive. That’s always a good place to start. Everything wants to survive, and if this guy’s existed since the middle ages but has only started showing up now, it makes sense.”
“It’s the best idea we’ve got” Scott was impressed with Theo’s suggestion, “One more question though. How would Isaac help him survive? What does Isaac in particular have?”
“Healing” Argent suggested.
“Isaac’s not the only one round here with healing powers, why him in particular?” Lydia queried. All of a sudden, she had a brainwave, “Unless he’s just the first.”
“No time to stand around, let’s get to work on this trap” Scott said, motivating the group, “Stiles and Lydia, maybe you two could investigate my house? The scene of the crime and all that.”
“Looking for clues” Stiles added, “We’re like Fred and Daphne.”
“I think you’re more Scooby” Lydia joked. Her light-heartedness quickly turned cold, however, as if she’d felt someone walk over her grave. She froze on the spot.
“Lydia, are you OK?” Stiles asked, instantly noticing the shift in her facial expression.
“He’s back” Lydia said, coldly and bluntly. Stiles felt a shiver down his spine, now deeply concerned about who would be next…
Liam made sure to keep an eye on Nolan throughout the meal. He smiled at him all the time. This wasn’t out of the ordinary for Liam. He always smiled when he saw Nolan. Even though they were going through a tough time with Isaac’s disappearance, Nolan kept him happy and gave him a reason to smile.
“So Nolan, have you always lived in Beacon Hills?” Joanna politely asked, hoping to make conversation.
“Yeah, I grew up here. My parents are from Mexico, but moved here a couple of years before I was born” Nolan explained, trying to keep a calm persona. He was shaking a little as he attempted to pick up his glass of lemonade. Deciding it’d be too risky, he put the cup back down on the table without taking a sip, leaving his dry mouth unquenched.
“I see, so do you know Spanish? I had a friend who grew up in Mexico and she tried to teach me some, but it’s been a long while now” Joanna recalled.
“Mom, why all the questions?” Liam asked, conscious of Nolan’s nerves. Liam looked over at Nolan, who was staring intensely down at his lap. Taking a closer look, Liam spotted a hint of blood. Instantly, he knew what to do.
“Nolan, the bathroom’s this way” Liam said, covering up the story for Joanna. However, what he’d really seen was the gruesome sight of Nolan digging his claws into his leg. Nolan listened to him, and followed Liam straight out of the dining room. Joanna was left behind on her own, sat in silence, confused about what had just happened.
“I’ll take you to Scott, he’ll have an idea, Nolan said he’s good at that kinda thing” Cody was talking. Daan was following just a couple of steps behind. They were on their way out of school – it was lunchtime anyway, but lessons didn’t feel so important right now. Daan didn’t feel like saying much, but he was following Cody’s every step.
“You’d think they’d have a plan anyway, after what happened with Isaac. It can’t happen again, right?” Cody continued rambling. He felt a draught on his face, but he assumed someone had left the doors open.
“Damn, it’s windy outside. Winter time I guess” Cody kept talking. He hoped Daan might respond, but understood why he wasn’t. The draught continued for thirty seconds, and Cody kept talking, about anything and everything that could keep Daan’s mind away from Father Time. As they reached the entrance, Cody turned around.
“Alright, we’re gonna go…” and he trailed off. Daan wasn’t in sight. Cody panicked. His heart started beating like crazy, and his breathing increased rapidly.
“Daan!” he called out. No response. He repeated. And again. And again. Each time, no response. Cody wan up and down the corridors, checking all of the rooms they passed on the way, but no sign of Daan anywhere…
Next: "The Mission"
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