Once in a Lifetime

04

Tabitha frowned as she looked at a cryptic message from her boyfriend and made her way to Scott's. She climbed up the window and entered through Scott's bedroom.

She walked heard voices from the bathroom. The boy from earlier, Liam, looked at her with wide eyes.

Tabitha glared at them as she pointed raised a hand, readying to utter a spell if she needed to as she stared between her friend and boyfriend. "Three seconds to explain or I spell someone."

Scott turned to her. "Put your hand down. You're scaring him. As for this, well, I panicked."

"Explain yourself and release the kid."

"I can't. I-I bit him."

"You did what?! You panicked and you bit him! Oh my God! If your mother finds out -- Kid, I'll get you out of here."

"Mm-mm," Liam mumbled.

"What?"

"His name is Liam," Scott said. "Tabitha, seriously. Put the hand away. You're gonna scare him."

"I'm gonna scare him. Scott, he's already terrified. You have really outdone yourself this time. Stiles, next time don't send a cryptic message."

Stiles nodded. "Though she said it kind of rudely, she's right. This is why I always come up with the plans. Your plans suck."

Scott let out a sigh. "I know. Which is why I called you two. So what do we do?"

The boys took Liam from the tub and set him in a chair. Stiles said, "Liam, we're going to take the tape off your mouth. If you scream, it goes right back on. If you talk quietly, it stays off. Got it? Okay."

Liam let out a painful cry as the tape was pulled from his mouth.

Stiles continued. "Okay, Liam, now you've seen a lot of confusing things tonight. And more confusing things are going to happen because of the confusing things that happened tonight. Do you understand?"

Liam shook his head. "Not really."

"Good. That's good."

Scott frowned. "I don't understand either."

Stiles glanced to his friend. "Maybe you should tell him."

"Tell me what?" Liam asked in a frightened tone.

Scott turned back to him. "Liam... What happened to you, what I did to you, which I had to do in order to save you, it's going to change you."

"Unless it kills you," Stiles responded before noticing Liam's tears. "Shouldn't have said that."

"What?" Liam asked as his breath shook.

"Uh... Uh-oh. Oh. Oh... Is he crying?"

Tabitha glared at the boys and pushed them back before kneeling in front of the bitten boy. "Liam, it'll be okay. You're gonna be just fine." His sobbing continued. "Don't listen to them. You're not going to die."

"Probably not," Stiles added.

Tabitha shot him a look. "Shut up."

Scott said at the same time, "Stop it."

"Okay, possibly not," Stiles replied, changing his answer.

Tabitha stepped behind the young boy and said, "Liam, I'm gonna untie you." She did as she said and looked back at Liam. "Are you okay? Liam?"

Stiles began apologizing. "We're sorry about that. We're really sorry."

He let out a grunt and Stiles asked, "Liam, what the hell is your..."