first stage, denial • thiam

three

"Changed"

And it was finally done. The hunters lost, they defeated Monroe and Gerard, they killed the Anuk-Ite and everything was ready to go back to normal. But Liam thought it wasn't going to be the same as before, it couldn't be. But looking forward, Liam liked the new version of normal.

He fought hunters, he fought a creature said to bring out your worst fear, a creature that could kill you with just one look. He fought along his pack and people close to him, he fought people that were hating them and would have killed them without a doubt. Yet they won even if the odds weren't leaning on their side. With everything they had been through they won, and still Liam didn't care about it as much as he should. He only cared and realised how good the world can be and how everything can change when he saw the most selfless side of Theo.

They say you can't take away pain if you don't care. Now his anchor took pain from a kid he didn't know, a kid that he barely crossed paths with. He didn't care about the boy specially, he cared about people now. He did something the old Theo wouldn't have done in a million years. And it wasn't just him who saw Theo doing that. Scott, Stiles, Lydia, Malia saw it, Mason, Corey and Melissa saw it too, hell even Derek Hale and Chris Argent saw it.

The ones who saw Theo at his worst, the bad part of Theo Raeken who crossed limits, it was now replaced by a boy who could take pain. A boy who changed because he wanted to. Because he realised that he was better than that. A boy who regretted everything he did, who now wanted to redeem himself.

"Theo" Scott said, approaching him and Liam. He was shot in the arm by the one who some minutes ago died painlessly because of him. "Are you alright?" he asked patting the chimera's arm.

"I'm alright, thank you" Theo said and gave him a half smile.

"Maybe he just did it because we were here" Malia mumbled, but Theo heard her.

"Look Malia, I didn't do it because you were here" Theo said and looked straight at her "I would have done it if it were just me and the kid that just died, because I changed" he added "And if you don't see it, that's your problem, not mine".

Liam was watching him in awe, his eyes wouldn't ever want to see something else rather than Theo in this situation. How the innocence of the "big bad chimera" was finally showing off, how he would let himself feel something and how he was trying to become better.

"You really changed" Scott said and smiled at him.

"I am trying my best to become a better person" Theo said "I know I did many bad things and I'm sorry for each and every one of it. But that's not me anymore" he said shaking his head.

"Yeah" Stiles interfered in the conversation "You are Theo again" he said and everyone looked at him "Theo from fourth grade, the only Theo I know" he added and Theo smiled at him. He smiled sincerly.

After that, they knew they have to learn how to trust Theo, and if not trust at least trying to cope with him. No-one could deny that he wasn't changed, because the words may be in vain but the actions, never. They witnessed something they never thought would, even if it was hard to accept, they would learn to.

Theo was chatting to Lydia outside of the hospital while Melissa took out the bullet from his arm. Liam was watching from the side. He still couldn't believe that everything was over, but he was too busy watching Theo than putting a thought on the fact they didn't have to fight anymore. Everything was over but Theo was still the only thing Liam cared about.  Mason and Corey joined him and he disappointingly moved his gaze away from Theo.