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Teen Wolf: Time Episode 1
"Visions"
It had been a successful semester for Lydia. She’d settled in like a duck to water at college, and was top of her class in all of her assignments so far. However, now she was home for Christmas, she was struggling with sleep. No matter how thankful she was for her own bed, she simply couldn’t get comfortable. After a couple of hours lying wide awake, Lydia finally drifted off into sleep. The tossing and turning didn’t stop though, and her dreams were incredibly vivid. The next thing Lydia knew, she was stood in the Beacon Hills forest. She looked around, but apart from the trees, she only saw darkness. There were no clouds in the sky – only a full moon. The light that gave wasn’t enough though. She tried running. As fast as she could, stepping on twigs and skidding through mud. Her dressing gown blustered through the air resistance as she sprinted desperately for some safety. However, nothing safe was in sight. All she saw was the pitch black. Running, further and further, until THUMP! She crashed down into a muddy puddle, soaked all over in her nicest dressing gown. She turned herself over, trying to stand up, and saw a heavenly-like man approaching. His beard was long, and he looked like he hadn’t been to the barber shop in years. He wore bright white robes, and carried a fob watch in one hand. He approached Lydia, who was frozen to the spot, and put his hand directly to her mouth. She struggled to breath, panicking…
Lydia gasped. Awake in her bed, she screamed louder than before…
Lydia gasped. Awake in her bed, she screamed louder than before…
Guest Stars: JR Bourne, Orny Adams, Cody Christian, Khylin Rhambo, Michael Johnston, Kaj Nieuwenhoff, Nick Robinson, Natalia Dyer and Harry Visinoni.
Rising from a well-earned sleep, Scott immediately checked his phone. Like most people his age, he was practically glued to it, constantly socialising with people from uni. It had been a mostly uneventful first semester for Scott. Compared to what he was used to at beacon Hills, college felt slightly boring. He was used to fighting for his life on a regular basis, and revising notes from lectures just wasn’t the same. Despite his social life being busy, and the fact he’d made new friends with absolute ease, he missed the familiar faces of his best friends in Beacon Hills. The bright light of his cell phone blinded his eyes amongst his dark bedroom, but he adjusted before long. He’d missed 352 messages in his uni group chat. Scott let out a sigh, and scrolled through them without really reading anything. He liked his new friends a lot, but the so-called “banter” was tiresome at times. He didn’t care who they’d slept with the night before, and he felt out of the loop sometimes as the only one with a partner. Despite the interest girls (and boys) had shown in him, Scott was never unfaithful to Maddie. He met up with her as often as their social calendars allowed, and finally, he felt like he’d hit the jackpot as far as girls were concerned. He was starting to feel like a romantic disaster. Allison’s death hit him hard, and things never quite felt the same with Kira. Maddie just felt perfect. Things felt natural, and she was just as interested in him as he was in her. Scott scrolled down the notifications on his phone and saw a text from Maddie, sent after he fell asleep. “Love you too” it said, complete with a kiss emoji at the end. Scott grinned like a Cheshire cat, and sent three kiss emojis in response.
Argent was getting used to the peace and quiet he’d recently gained in his house. No teenagers with their constant phone notifications or loud music, even if the trio of Maddie, Isaac and Casey were good company. Having such a quiet house felt strange to Argent. Once, he’d had a strong family unit, with a wife and a daughter, but he’d had to adjust to a life alone, where both of them are dead. Having a full house again was comforting, especially as Isaac had become like a son to him. Although Allison’s true love was clearly Scott, she and Isaac had shared a close bond at the time of her death, and Isaac’s return to Beacon Hills brought back fond memories of his daughter. Perched in his office, he heard the front door click shut.
“Who is it?” Argent yelled, wanting to keep tabs on who was entering and leaving his house.
“I was hoping for a warmer welcome. A party perhaps” Isaac quipped from the doorway.
“Welcome home” Argent smiled, standing up from his comfy chair to embrace Isaac in a warm hug.
“Never realised how much I’d miss Beacon Hills” Isaac smiled. He was genuinely pleased to see Argent again. If he knew how close they’d eventually become when they first met, he’d never have believed it. Argent used to hunt werewolves, and naturally, Isaac wasn’t his favourite person. Even after he retired from hunting, and Isaac started dating Allison, the reception he got was frosty at best. Her death brought them closer, and they kept in touch while Isaac lived in France. He’d even helped Isaac find a place to stay when he relocated to San Francisco, so their bond had strengthened; one positive about Allison’s death, even if circumstances were far from ideal.
“I hear things have been pretty boring here” Isaac continued.
“Nothing out of the ordinary” Argent skirted around the question. The ordinary in Beacon Hills was a far cry from most people’s perceptions of ordinary. Liam had sworn him to secrecy over Angela and the Nemeton, not wanting to burden Scott or the others over anything. It was against Argent’s better nature, but he went along with it anyway. It was bound to come out eventually, but in the meantime, he didn’t want to be the cause of unnecessary friction. He changed the subject.
“How’s Malia?”
“She’s great. I’ve not seen her in a few weeks now but she said she’d show her face today” Isaac explained.
“You’ve landed on your feet with her” Argent commented, “She’s headstrong and intelligent. Plus she’s lovely, but I fear she’d kill me for saying that.”
“Too right” Malia interrupted, stood casually at the doorway.
“How long have you been stood there?” Isaac queried. His eyes lit up at the mere sight of her.
“Long enough. I heard all your small talk. It was excruciatingly soppy” Malia jokingly replied.
“Eavesdropping I see” Argent noted.
“I can’t help my enhanced hearing” Malia lied. Isaac was laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Malia asked, interrogating.
“You, dumbass” Isaac replied, pulling her in for a kiss. Malia loved his kisses, they were the best of a small range she’d experienced. This kiss was no different, and she absolutely adored every second of her lips being pressed against his.
“Are you sure everything’s alright?” Stiles was concerned. Lydia had texted him immediately after she woke up in a state of panic. She was shaking when Stiles arrived, but he was none the wiser as to exactly why he texted her.
“Yes, I said I’m fine” Lydia firmly replied, although she sounded unconvinced herself. She was dressed in her best top and jacket combination – something she normally saved for special occasions – but today wasn’t anything interesting. She was planning to continue her college work, as despite the holidays being upon them, she had way too much work to complete. Stiles, on the other hand, wasn’t so keen to start his work and was intending to hit Scott up and head into town. His plans were immediately scuppered when Lydia texted him.
“Lydia, I can read you like a book, I’ve been able to for years” Stiles began.
“That sounds wrong” Lydia interrupted, trying to divert from the subject. Stiles ignored it and continued.
“When you wake up in banshee mode and scream the whole goddamn street down, you’re not fine. You’re far from it, and we can’t help if you’re not gonna tell us anything” Stiles reasoned the best he could. He wasn’t wrong. Every time Lydia had a banshee vision, it meant trouble was on its way. Lydia sat down on the edge of her bed, signalling defeat.
“Why can’t we just have a normal holiday? Is that too much to ask?” Lydia wondered aloud, frustrated.
“This is normal. By our standards anyway” Stiles jested.
“You know what I mean” Lydia sighed, “No more banshee, no more werewolves. Just us, together.” She stared straight at Stiles, and into his gazing hazel eyes.
“I know. Occasionally I think of how nice it would be to live a totally normal life” Stiles pondered, “But what’s normal? Nobody is normal. If you were normal, you’d be boring, and you’re far from boring Lydia Martin.” Lydia smiled for the first time that day.
“Alright” she gave in, “Let’s speak to Scott.”
Gathering around a table in the school library, Liam had called a meeting. Mason, Corey, Nolan, Daan and Cody had been summoned, and were perched around the table wondering why their free periods were being taken up by Liam. They were anticipating an arrival from Becky, but she was a no-show so far.
“Alright, I’m sorry to bring you all together but I just had to clarify something” Liam began, “Just because Scott’s back, it doesn’t mean he needs to know everything that happened before. The ritual, Angela, and so on.”
“Won’t he just find out anyway?” a sensible Cody piped up.
“Not if you all keep schtum” Liam responded. The group was pretty confused. Scott was their alpha, and he needed to be kept in the loop. For some reason, Liam was especially against this, and not one of the group seemed to understand why. However, none of them were keen to speak against him.
“I guess it’s alright” Mason half agreed, “But it’s on your head when he finds out, not ours.”
“I know” Liam nodded. Inside his mind, he was worried about what Scott would think of him. He didn’t want to put himself up for judgement, as if Scott would give him feedback and points to improve on about how he handled the situation. For an easier life, he wanted to keep it away from Scott, even if it would be an uphill battle with so many people lending a helping hand.
Avoiding the meeting, Becky had gone to Coach’s office. She knocked three times politely before entering. She was expecting to meet Theo there, but instead, she saw Coach, who hadn’t vacated his office.
“Oh, sorry” Becky blushed, about to sheepishly let herself out. She felt embarrassed, as Theo had promised her he’d deal with Coach.
“He’s through there” Coach barked, referring to the changing room door, “Keep the noise down, I can’t procrastinate with the sloppy sounds of young love destroying my eardrums.” Becky nodded, slightly weirded out by Coach’s so-called way with words. She shut the connecting door behind her, and slowly stepped through the changing rooms. There was no sign of Theo, but she knew he’d be there. She focused her hearing. The first thing she picked up on was the sound of water drip-dropping, which must have been from the shower. She walked towards the showers, following the only sound she could hear. As she turned the corner, her eyes were graced with the sight of Theo, stood at the far end. He was casually leaning against the wall, his hair organised perfectly to look stylish and fashionable.
“I told you I’d sort it” Theo spoke with a sense of arrogance, much like always.
“What do you want?” Becky queried. She knew the answer, but she wanted him to say it.
“What I always want” Theo replied, not losing his cool, relaxed posture against the wall, “You.” He sprung off the wall and leaned in to make out with his girlfriend. Becky didn’t protest. She allowed the calming sensation of his lips against hers to continue. However, she broke the kiss to ask a burning question.
“I hear Scott’s back” Becky commented. Theo wasn’t interested in talking in that moment, so he brushed her off.
“So what?”
“He’s not met me yet. Does he even know you’re around?”
“I come and go, I doubt it’d be much of a surprise”
“You’re part of his pack now, whether he likes it or not. Don’t you think he deserves to know that?” Becky was speaking sense. Theo gave up pursuing Becky. He knew she was right, even if he didn’t want to admit it.
“I’ll speak to Liam. We’ll try and arrange a meeting” Theo decided. Becky smiled and kissed him, much to Theo’s delight.
Tired after his journey, Isaac was lying down on Argent’s sofa. Malia was perched at the end, with his legs on top of her. The TV was on, showing some show Malia liked, he assumed. He wasn’t paying it any attention, so was staring out of the window instead.
“Hey” came a voice from the hallway. Casey peeped his head around the doorway, looking unusually chirpy.
“Welcome back” Malia greeted. She stayed sat down, much to Casey’s dismay after he’d primed himself for a hug. It wasn’t out of rudeness – more because Isaac’s legs stayed firmly over her lap. Isaac wasn’t paying any attention to what was happening in the room. He’d not even noticed Casey’s arrival, as he was too busy focusing on something he’d noticed in the distance. His wolf vision was activated, his yellow eyes glowing brightly as he spotted an old man approaching from the corner of the road. He looked directly at Isaac, with a ghostly white face. In his hand was a fob watch, swinging left to right as if it was being used for hypnotism. He started walking towards Isaac, who panicked. His legs swung round to the floor, and he stood up, shaking.
“He’s coming, oh my god he’s coming, somebody stop him” he spoke quickly and with a sense of urgency.
“Isaac?” Malia responded, calmly, “Who’s coming?” He zoned back into the room. Malia was stood to his side, her hands on his cheeks. He stared back out of the window, and nobody was there. Not even a whiff of the old man he’d seen approaching.
“I saw somebody” Isaac confessed.
“Sorry, that must have been me” a British accent came from the doorway, as a young man appeared at the door, “That must have been me. I’m Archie.” He smiled from ear to ear, his wavy black hair travelling down to his jawline.
“This is my boyfriend” Casey introduced him to Malia and Isaac, the latter of whom was baffled about what had just happened.
“Hey, what’s the emergency?” Maddie asked, as Scott opened his front door to her.
“Stiles and Lydia are here. It’s…” Scott explained, but took a pause, considering his phrasing, “…banshee stuff.”
“Ah” Maddie nodded, “Where are the others?”
“I tried calling everyone but it went to voicemail on the others, so it looks like it’s just gonna be us” Scott answered, “How are you anyway?”
“Not bad, journey was boring” Maddie responded, referring to her trail back from college.
“You look amazing” Scott noticed. Maddie grinned from ear to ear. She’d been told how good she looked many times by many guys over the years, and it always felt great, but the way Scott said it was way more sincere than any guy in a club. He meant every word he said, and it warmed her heart.
“Alright you two lovebirds, can we get down to business or do I need to chuck a bucket of cold water over you both?” Stiles interrupted. Scott chuckled. He should’ve known that his moment with Maddie wouldn’t last long when Stiles was only a matter of metres away. He and Maddie took a seat in the living room. Scott knew they’d get enough privacy there. Melissa was at work on a rare daytime shift, and they hardly ever got any visitors otherwise.
“What’s up?” Scott asked, instigating the discussion.
“I’ve been having bad dreams” Lydia began, “The usual sort. Apparently banshees don’t get a Christmas break. Anyway, I keep dreaming of the same man. He’s old, and looks straight out of biblical times.”
“Any details that can help us identify him?” Maddie queried, keenly listening.
“He looked like a pretty typical old man. One in need of a beard trim and a pedicure mind you” Lydia added, “Oh, and he was holding a fob watch, like the ones you’d keep in your pocket years back.”
“An old man holding a watch, sounds terrifying” Maddie sarcastically responded.
“That’s the thing, he was terrifying” Lydia recalled, “He didn’t look threatening but there was an eerie feel. Like he was coming to get me. He glowed a ghostly white, and he was coming right towards me. Every time, the same dream.”
“Do we think this could be in the bestiary?” Scott wondered, considering his options.
“Oh yes, right next to the kanima and the werehyena, there’s an old man stood holding a fob watch” Stiles’ sarcasm levels were high. He turned back to Lydia, and spoke more seriously, “You said he sounded biblical, maybe there’s a clue there?”
“Where would we get a Bible from?” Maddie queried.
“Same place as any book” Lydia responded, “The library.”
Isaac felt weak. He’d been in a good mood since returning to Beacon Hills but he was now on edge, more than he’d ever been before.
“Are you alright dude?” Casey questioned, noticing his friend’s behaviour. He was genuinely concerned, as Isaac was usually so laid back, but right now, he looked anything but.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost” Malia noted. She was just as concerned. It had totally left her mind that just moments ago, she was introduced to Casey’s new boyfriend. Archie looked on as everyone else would in the same scenario – he froze. He didn’t know much about Isaac other than what Casey had told him, but nevertheless, he felt compassion. Instinctively, he tried to help out.
“He’s having a panic attack” Archie identified. He was right – Isaac had lost balance and was now sat on the floor against a sofa. His breathing was frantic and his vision was dazed.
“What do we do?” Malia asked, panicked.
“We need to calm him down” Archie instructed. His lack of connection to Isaac allowed him to keep a calm mind set and deliver commands.
“Isaac” Malia said, crouching down next to him, “You need to breathe. In and out, with me.” Isaac nodded, hearing the orders but still panicked. Malia took a gasp of air in, demonstrating for Isaac. He did the same, following perfectly. They held for three seconds, and calmly released. Twice more, they repeated. Isaac regained composure, slowly stopping shaking and sweating. His breath was at a much more regular pace, and he attempted to stand up.
“How did you know all that?” Casey asked Archie, impressed.
“My brother had panic attacks regularly. I always had to help him regain control” Archie explained. Malia hugged Isaac, relived he was okay, but Isaac remained on edge as he remembered what he saw in the window.
Persistent as ever, Theo was attempting to convince Liam that now was the time to speak to Scott. They were in the school libray – Liam hadn’t moved from there since the meeting earlier. Miss Padhi hadn’t been in school since Angela invaded, so her lessons had been cancelled and he was left with a load of free time.
“I’m fed up of being a sitting duck” Theo argued, “I’m not going to be a part time member of the pack. I want in, I made a promise and I’ve kept to it. Now you need to do your part.” Theo wasn’t even supposed to be in school – he was in Scott’s year group, who were now at college, but he opted not to attend and had been spending his time being trained up by Deaton to work at the animal clinic.
“I told you, the time will come. I don’t want to cause more stress to Scott than necessary” Liam responded firmly.
“The time has come, it’s now. I don’t want to fall out with you, but if you don’t speak to Scott, I will” Theo was getting angry.
“Fine, go ahead, see if I care” Liam raised his voice and stood up, not caring that he’d disturbed the rest of the library from their quiet work. He looked up, and to his horror, he saw Scott in the doorway. He sat down in embarrassment. It was now too late – Scott had seen Theo, and there was no backing out of this.
“Liam, what’s going on?” Scott asked, strolling over. Stiles, Maddie and Lydia followed, keeping quiet.
“Nothing, I’m just tired” Liam lied.
“Why didn’t you tell me he was back?” Scott interrogated.
“I am here you know” Theo retorted, annoyed he was being spoken about as if he were absent.
“He’s been back a while, I was gonna tell you…” Liam tried explaining.
“Why didn’t you? What did you think I’d do?” Scott continued, frustrated at Liam, “Is there anything else I need to know?” Liam sat awkwardly.
“Becky” Theo mentioned.
“Who the hell is Becky?” Stiles jumped in.
“She turned up a few months ago, on the run from Angela, the Eichen House nurse. She’s a werehyena” Liam explained.
“And my girlfriend” Theo added.
“Terrible taste in men, noted” Maddie commented.
“I’m here to help, I swear. I made a promise that I’d prove my worth, and I’d say I’ve damn well done that” Theo pleaded.
“Liam, I need you to explain everything. Now” Scott commanded. Liam put his head in his hands, feeling humiliated.
Meanwhile, Lydia gestured to Stiles and Maddie – a signal to follow her. They crept off to scour the library for a Bible, not quite sure which section would be most appropriate. They split up to cover more ground, looking high and low, but right at the top of the first shelf in the non-fiction section, there it was. Several copies, in fact. Stiles spotted it first, and grabbed every copy they had. Lydia turned the corner, seeing Stiles struggle to carry six copies of the Bible one on top of the other.
“Give me some” Lydia suggested, smiling at Stiles’ stupidity. She picked one of them from the floor, having been dropped. Immediately, she felt like her mind was transported to the forest again. She saw him, that strange old man. He looked so incredibly sinister, as he stretched his hand towards Lydia. The fob watch was ticking away in front of Lydia’s eyes, and she watched as the seconds hand tick-tick-ticked away. All of a sudden, it stopped. The ticking sound was no more. Lydia looked at the man, as he stared straight back at her, reaching out to her chest. She felt terrified of what this man could do, and she dropped the Bible. SLAM! The heavy book whacked against the hard carpet of the library. She was back in the room, and almost lost her balance. Stiles had been watching, in confusion. He immediately ran to her aid, stopping her from toppling over.
“You saw him again, didn’t you?” Stiles asked knowingly.
“Time” Lydia responded with little emotion in her voice, “Time is up.”
Argent was getting used to the peace and quiet he’d recently gained in his house. No teenagers with their constant phone notifications or loud music, even if the trio of Maddie, Isaac and Casey were good company. Having such a quiet house felt strange to Argent. Once, he’d had a strong family unit, with a wife and a daughter, but he’d had to adjust to a life alone, where both of them are dead. Having a full house again was comforting, especially as Isaac had become like a son to him. Although Allison’s true love was clearly Scott, she and Isaac had shared a close bond at the time of her death, and Isaac’s return to Beacon Hills brought back fond memories of his daughter. Perched in his office, he heard the front door click shut.
“Who is it?” Argent yelled, wanting to keep tabs on who was entering and leaving his house.
“I was hoping for a warmer welcome. A party perhaps” Isaac quipped from the doorway.
“Welcome home” Argent smiled, standing up from his comfy chair to embrace Isaac in a warm hug.
“Never realised how much I’d miss Beacon Hills” Isaac smiled. He was genuinely pleased to see Argent again. If he knew how close they’d eventually become when they first met, he’d never have believed it. Argent used to hunt werewolves, and naturally, Isaac wasn’t his favourite person. Even after he retired from hunting, and Isaac started dating Allison, the reception he got was frosty at best. Her death brought them closer, and they kept in touch while Isaac lived in France. He’d even helped Isaac find a place to stay when he relocated to San Francisco, so their bond had strengthened; one positive about Allison’s death, even if circumstances were far from ideal.
“I hear things have been pretty boring here” Isaac continued.
“Nothing out of the ordinary” Argent skirted around the question. The ordinary in Beacon Hills was a far cry from most people’s perceptions of ordinary. Liam had sworn him to secrecy over Angela and the Nemeton, not wanting to burden Scott or the others over anything. It was against Argent’s better nature, but he went along with it anyway. It was bound to come out eventually, but in the meantime, he didn’t want to be the cause of unnecessary friction. He changed the subject.
“How’s Malia?”
“She’s great. I’ve not seen her in a few weeks now but she said she’d show her face today” Isaac explained.
“You’ve landed on your feet with her” Argent commented, “She’s headstrong and intelligent. Plus she’s lovely, but I fear she’d kill me for saying that.”
“Too right” Malia interrupted, stood casually at the doorway.
“How long have you been stood there?” Isaac queried. His eyes lit up at the mere sight of her.
“Long enough. I heard all your small talk. It was excruciatingly soppy” Malia jokingly replied.
“Eavesdropping I see” Argent noted.
“I can’t help my enhanced hearing” Malia lied. Isaac was laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Malia asked, interrogating.
“You, dumbass” Isaac replied, pulling her in for a kiss. Malia loved his kisses, they were the best of a small range she’d experienced. This kiss was no different, and she absolutely adored every second of her lips being pressed against his.
“Are you sure everything’s alright?” Stiles was concerned. Lydia had texted him immediately after she woke up in a state of panic. She was shaking when Stiles arrived, but he was none the wiser as to exactly why he texted her.
“Yes, I said I’m fine” Lydia firmly replied, although she sounded unconvinced herself. She was dressed in her best top and jacket combination – something she normally saved for special occasions – but today wasn’t anything interesting. She was planning to continue her college work, as despite the holidays being upon them, she had way too much work to complete. Stiles, on the other hand, wasn’t so keen to start his work and was intending to hit Scott up and head into town. His plans were immediately scuppered when Lydia texted him.
“Lydia, I can read you like a book, I’ve been able to for years” Stiles began.
“That sounds wrong” Lydia interrupted, trying to divert from the subject. Stiles ignored it and continued.
“When you wake up in banshee mode and scream the whole goddamn street down, you’re not fine. You’re far from it, and we can’t help if you’re not gonna tell us anything” Stiles reasoned the best he could. He wasn’t wrong. Every time Lydia had a banshee vision, it meant trouble was on its way. Lydia sat down on the edge of her bed, signalling defeat.
“Why can’t we just have a normal holiday? Is that too much to ask?” Lydia wondered aloud, frustrated.
“This is normal. By our standards anyway” Stiles jested.
“You know what I mean” Lydia sighed, “No more banshee, no more werewolves. Just us, together.” She stared straight at Stiles, and into his gazing hazel eyes.
“I know. Occasionally I think of how nice it would be to live a totally normal life” Stiles pondered, “But what’s normal? Nobody is normal. If you were normal, you’d be boring, and you’re far from boring Lydia Martin.” Lydia smiled for the first time that day.
“Alright” she gave in, “Let’s speak to Scott.”
Gathering around a table in the school library, Liam had called a meeting. Mason, Corey, Nolan, Daan and Cody had been summoned, and were perched around the table wondering why their free periods were being taken up by Liam. They were anticipating an arrival from Becky, but she was a no-show so far.
“Alright, I’m sorry to bring you all together but I just had to clarify something” Liam began, “Just because Scott’s back, it doesn’t mean he needs to know everything that happened before. The ritual, Angela, and so on.”
“Won’t he just find out anyway?” a sensible Cody piped up.
“Not if you all keep schtum” Liam responded. The group was pretty confused. Scott was their alpha, and he needed to be kept in the loop. For some reason, Liam was especially against this, and not one of the group seemed to understand why. However, none of them were keen to speak against him.
“I guess it’s alright” Mason half agreed, “But it’s on your head when he finds out, not ours.”
“I know” Liam nodded. Inside his mind, he was worried about what Scott would think of him. He didn’t want to put himself up for judgement, as if Scott would give him feedback and points to improve on about how he handled the situation. For an easier life, he wanted to keep it away from Scott, even if it would be an uphill battle with so many people lending a helping hand.
Avoiding the meeting, Becky had gone to Coach’s office. She knocked three times politely before entering. She was expecting to meet Theo there, but instead, she saw Coach, who hadn’t vacated his office.
“Oh, sorry” Becky blushed, about to sheepishly let herself out. She felt embarrassed, as Theo had promised her he’d deal with Coach.
“He’s through there” Coach barked, referring to the changing room door, “Keep the noise down, I can’t procrastinate with the sloppy sounds of young love destroying my eardrums.” Becky nodded, slightly weirded out by Coach’s so-called way with words. She shut the connecting door behind her, and slowly stepped through the changing rooms. There was no sign of Theo, but she knew he’d be there. She focused her hearing. The first thing she picked up on was the sound of water drip-dropping, which must have been from the shower. She walked towards the showers, following the only sound she could hear. As she turned the corner, her eyes were graced with the sight of Theo, stood at the far end. He was casually leaning against the wall, his hair organised perfectly to look stylish and fashionable.
“I told you I’d sort it” Theo spoke with a sense of arrogance, much like always.
“What do you want?” Becky queried. She knew the answer, but she wanted him to say it.
“What I always want” Theo replied, not losing his cool, relaxed posture against the wall, “You.” He sprung off the wall and leaned in to make out with his girlfriend. Becky didn’t protest. She allowed the calming sensation of his lips against hers to continue. However, she broke the kiss to ask a burning question.
“I hear Scott’s back” Becky commented. Theo wasn’t interested in talking in that moment, so he brushed her off.
“So what?”
“He’s not met me yet. Does he even know you’re around?”
“I come and go, I doubt it’d be much of a surprise”
“You’re part of his pack now, whether he likes it or not. Don’t you think he deserves to know that?” Becky was speaking sense. Theo gave up pursuing Becky. He knew she was right, even if he didn’t want to admit it.
“I’ll speak to Liam. We’ll try and arrange a meeting” Theo decided. Becky smiled and kissed him, much to Theo’s delight.
Tired after his journey, Isaac was lying down on Argent’s sofa. Malia was perched at the end, with his legs on top of her. The TV was on, showing some show Malia liked, he assumed. He wasn’t paying it any attention, so was staring out of the window instead.
“Hey” came a voice from the hallway. Casey peeped his head around the doorway, looking unusually chirpy.
“Welcome back” Malia greeted. She stayed sat down, much to Casey’s dismay after he’d primed himself for a hug. It wasn’t out of rudeness – more because Isaac’s legs stayed firmly over her lap. Isaac wasn’t paying any attention to what was happening in the room. He’d not even noticed Casey’s arrival, as he was too busy focusing on something he’d noticed in the distance. His wolf vision was activated, his yellow eyes glowing brightly as he spotted an old man approaching from the corner of the road. He looked directly at Isaac, with a ghostly white face. In his hand was a fob watch, swinging left to right as if it was being used for hypnotism. He started walking towards Isaac, who panicked. His legs swung round to the floor, and he stood up, shaking.
“He’s coming, oh my god he’s coming, somebody stop him” he spoke quickly and with a sense of urgency.
“Isaac?” Malia responded, calmly, “Who’s coming?” He zoned back into the room. Malia was stood to his side, her hands on his cheeks. He stared back out of the window, and nobody was there. Not even a whiff of the old man he’d seen approaching.
“I saw somebody” Isaac confessed.
“Sorry, that must have been me” a British accent came from the doorway, as a young man appeared at the door, “That must have been me. I’m Archie.” He smiled from ear to ear, his wavy black hair travelling down to his jawline.
“This is my boyfriend” Casey introduced him to Malia and Isaac, the latter of whom was baffled about what had just happened.
“Hey, what’s the emergency?” Maddie asked, as Scott opened his front door to her.
“Stiles and Lydia are here. It’s…” Scott explained, but took a pause, considering his phrasing, “…banshee stuff.”
“Ah” Maddie nodded, “Where are the others?”
“I tried calling everyone but it went to voicemail on the others, so it looks like it’s just gonna be us” Scott answered, “How are you anyway?”
“Not bad, journey was boring” Maddie responded, referring to her trail back from college.
“You look amazing” Scott noticed. Maddie grinned from ear to ear. She’d been told how good she looked many times by many guys over the years, and it always felt great, but the way Scott said it was way more sincere than any guy in a club. He meant every word he said, and it warmed her heart.
“Alright you two lovebirds, can we get down to business or do I need to chuck a bucket of cold water over you both?” Stiles interrupted. Scott chuckled. He should’ve known that his moment with Maddie wouldn’t last long when Stiles was only a matter of metres away. He and Maddie took a seat in the living room. Scott knew they’d get enough privacy there. Melissa was at work on a rare daytime shift, and they hardly ever got any visitors otherwise.
“What’s up?” Scott asked, instigating the discussion.
“I’ve been having bad dreams” Lydia began, “The usual sort. Apparently banshees don’t get a Christmas break. Anyway, I keep dreaming of the same man. He’s old, and looks straight out of biblical times.”
“Any details that can help us identify him?” Maddie queried, keenly listening.
“He looked like a pretty typical old man. One in need of a beard trim and a pedicure mind you” Lydia added, “Oh, and he was holding a fob watch, like the ones you’d keep in your pocket years back.”
“An old man holding a watch, sounds terrifying” Maddie sarcastically responded.
“That’s the thing, he was terrifying” Lydia recalled, “He didn’t look threatening but there was an eerie feel. Like he was coming to get me. He glowed a ghostly white, and he was coming right towards me. Every time, the same dream.”
“Do we think this could be in the bestiary?” Scott wondered, considering his options.
“Oh yes, right next to the kanima and the werehyena, there’s an old man stood holding a fob watch” Stiles’ sarcasm levels were high. He turned back to Lydia, and spoke more seriously, “You said he sounded biblical, maybe there’s a clue there?”
“Where would we get a Bible from?” Maddie queried.
“Same place as any book” Lydia responded, “The library.”
Isaac felt weak. He’d been in a good mood since returning to Beacon Hills but he was now on edge, more than he’d ever been before.
“Are you alright dude?” Casey questioned, noticing his friend’s behaviour. He was genuinely concerned, as Isaac was usually so laid back, but right now, he looked anything but.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost” Malia noted. She was just as concerned. It had totally left her mind that just moments ago, she was introduced to Casey’s new boyfriend. Archie looked on as everyone else would in the same scenario – he froze. He didn’t know much about Isaac other than what Casey had told him, but nevertheless, he felt compassion. Instinctively, he tried to help out.
“He’s having a panic attack” Archie identified. He was right – Isaac had lost balance and was now sat on the floor against a sofa. His breathing was frantic and his vision was dazed.
“What do we do?” Malia asked, panicked.
“We need to calm him down” Archie instructed. His lack of connection to Isaac allowed him to keep a calm mind set and deliver commands.
“Isaac” Malia said, crouching down next to him, “You need to breathe. In and out, with me.” Isaac nodded, hearing the orders but still panicked. Malia took a gasp of air in, demonstrating for Isaac. He did the same, following perfectly. They held for three seconds, and calmly released. Twice more, they repeated. Isaac regained composure, slowly stopping shaking and sweating. His breath was at a much more regular pace, and he attempted to stand up.
“How did you know all that?” Casey asked Archie, impressed.
“My brother had panic attacks regularly. I always had to help him regain control” Archie explained. Malia hugged Isaac, relived he was okay, but Isaac remained on edge as he remembered what he saw in the window.
Persistent as ever, Theo was attempting to convince Liam that now was the time to speak to Scott. They were in the school libray – Liam hadn’t moved from there since the meeting earlier. Miss Padhi hadn’t been in school since Angela invaded, so her lessons had been cancelled and he was left with a load of free time.
“I’m fed up of being a sitting duck” Theo argued, “I’m not going to be a part time member of the pack. I want in, I made a promise and I’ve kept to it. Now you need to do your part.” Theo wasn’t even supposed to be in school – he was in Scott’s year group, who were now at college, but he opted not to attend and had been spending his time being trained up by Deaton to work at the animal clinic.
“I told you, the time will come. I don’t want to cause more stress to Scott than necessary” Liam responded firmly.
“The time has come, it’s now. I don’t want to fall out with you, but if you don’t speak to Scott, I will” Theo was getting angry.
“Fine, go ahead, see if I care” Liam raised his voice and stood up, not caring that he’d disturbed the rest of the library from their quiet work. He looked up, and to his horror, he saw Scott in the doorway. He sat down in embarrassment. It was now too late – Scott had seen Theo, and there was no backing out of this.
“Liam, what’s going on?” Scott asked, strolling over. Stiles, Maddie and Lydia followed, keeping quiet.
“Nothing, I’m just tired” Liam lied.
“Why didn’t you tell me he was back?” Scott interrogated.
“I am here you know” Theo retorted, annoyed he was being spoken about as if he were absent.
“He’s been back a while, I was gonna tell you…” Liam tried explaining.
“Why didn’t you? What did you think I’d do?” Scott continued, frustrated at Liam, “Is there anything else I need to know?” Liam sat awkwardly.
“Becky” Theo mentioned.
“Who the hell is Becky?” Stiles jumped in.
“She turned up a few months ago, on the run from Angela, the Eichen House nurse. She’s a werehyena” Liam explained.
“And my girlfriend” Theo added.
“Terrible taste in men, noted” Maddie commented.
“I’m here to help, I swear. I made a promise that I’d prove my worth, and I’d say I’ve damn well done that” Theo pleaded.
“Liam, I need you to explain everything. Now” Scott commanded. Liam put his head in his hands, feeling humiliated.
Meanwhile, Lydia gestured to Stiles and Maddie – a signal to follow her. They crept off to scour the library for a Bible, not quite sure which section would be most appropriate. They split up to cover more ground, looking high and low, but right at the top of the first shelf in the non-fiction section, there it was. Several copies, in fact. Stiles spotted it first, and grabbed every copy they had. Lydia turned the corner, seeing Stiles struggle to carry six copies of the Bible one on top of the other.
“Give me some” Lydia suggested, smiling at Stiles’ stupidity. She picked one of them from the floor, having been dropped. Immediately, she felt like her mind was transported to the forest again. She saw him, that strange old man. He looked so incredibly sinister, as he stretched his hand towards Lydia. The fob watch was ticking away in front of Lydia’s eyes, and she watched as the seconds hand tick-tick-ticked away. All of a sudden, it stopped. The ticking sound was no more. Lydia looked at the man, as he stared straight back at her, reaching out to her chest. She felt terrified of what this man could do, and she dropped the Bible. SLAM! The heavy book whacked against the hard carpet of the library. She was back in the room, and almost lost her balance. Stiles had been watching, in confusion. He immediately ran to her aid, stopping her from toppling over.
“You saw him again, didn’t you?” Stiles asked knowingly.
“Time” Lydia responded with little emotion in her voice, “Time is up.”
Next: "Separation"
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