Once in a Lifetime

39

Malia sat on Theo's chest, punching his face repeatedly.

"It's okay," Theo said. "You don't have to stop."

"Trust me, I won't," Malia replied with a growl.

Malia rushed Theo, growling softly.

Scott grabbed Malia and held her by the waist. "Slow down, okay? He's going back in the ground."

Liam shook his head. "You can't. He remembers Tabitha."

Malia glared at Theo and sneered. "Scott remembers Tabitha. Lydia, Stiles and I remember Tabitha."

"The Dread Doctors knew all about the Wild Hunt. He can help us," Liam protested.

Malia narrowed her eyes. "How do we know we can trust him?"

Scott glanced at her. "She's right. He could kill us."

Liam shook his head. "He's my responsibility." He held up a sword. "Mrs. Yukimura gave me the sword."

Theo sighed. "It's so awkward when Mom and Dad fight."

"Shut up!" everyone cried.

Hayden appeared and said, "You're both right. If Theo tries anything, we'll send him back to the Skinwalkers. But for right now..."

"He goes back now," Scott and Stiles interrupted.

Scott pinched the bridge of his nose, motioning for Liam and Stiles to follow him.

They made their way into the kitchen and Scott crossed his arms. Liam frowned and asked, "What, you don't trust me?"

Scott sighed. "I don't trust him."

"Remember who he is. He got into your head and tried to kill me. And when that didn't work, he killed me. And Tracy, and Josh and his sister."

Liam pursed his lips. "But this might be our only chance to get Tabitha back."

Stiles' eyes narrowed. "Can't we just try to find somebody that we at least trust?"

"This might be a mistake. But you don't know that yet. And you made some mistakes when you were learning to be an alpha."

Scott nodded. "I made a lot. But we don't have time for mistakes. I can't lose Tabitha. Stiles can't lose Tabitha."

Liam's eyes shone a little brighter. "So we should try anything we can to save her. Right? Even Theo."

"Convince me," Scott and Stiles told him.

They walked back into the living room and Liam walked toward Theo. "I can put you back in the ground at any time."

Theo smirked. "You also need a transformer that can handle five billion joules of electricity. I know where to find one and I can show you how it works. I'll tell you if Malia promises not to kill me."

Malia let out a growl.

"She promises," Liam said.

Malia glared at Scott. "No I don't. We're really gonna do this? Trust him?"

Scott sighed. "We're not going to trust him. We're going to use him."

"You got a better idea?" Hayden snapped.

"I've got an idea. It may not be better, but at least it's not him," Malia retorted before walking off.

Stiles got a message and rushed to the Young home to see Lydia.

They walked inside and made their way to a ragged hole in the wall.

Micah looked at them and asked, "You two knew about this, didn't you?" Lydia and Stiles shrugged. "God, it was on the blueprints. It was here when we moved in. That was 18 years ago."

Stiles heard a voice. "I need to get back to my friends. They're worried about me. Scott. Liam. Stiles. All of them."

"Stiles? Lydia?" Micah called. "What is it?"

Stiles shook his head. "Nothing. I just thought I heard someone."

He nodded and frowned. "I don't understand how you and Lydia knew this was here. If you two want to discuss the possibility that I had a daughter... I'm listening."

Lydia closed the door and reiterated the whole situation with Lenore.

"So, wait a sec. So, this woman "Lenore", she conjured up her dead son?" Micah asked.

Lydia nodded. "She was the only one left. She had to fill a void. So she filled it with her dead son."

"And you saw this kid?"

"We all did. He was real. He was there. But..."

"But what?"

"She was there when everybody was taken. But she didn't want to believe it. She chose to believe in her son."

Micah's eyes narrowed. "What are you trying to say? You think I made up a scenario and killed my wife?"

"You're afraid to remember her," Stiles told him.

He pursed his lips. "She was a flesh and blood woman. She was real. And I lost her. Everything else here is just... Is just speculation. Conjecture. It's just, it's a theory based on a... On a ghost town."

As soon as Micah finished, the teens made their way to the door. Stiles noticed a lacrosse jersey, numbered 24.

Stiles picked up the jersey and inhaled the scent, getting a happy feeling.

Micah looked at him weirdly and Stiles asked, "You don't see anything?"

"I see a deeply disturbed young man and a concerned friend."

Stiles sighed. "You're afraid to remember her because you're afraid of what it means."

"Why do you care so much I remember her?"

"Because you loved her," he replied, tossing the jersey to him. "She loved wearing my number."

Micah's hand shot up and he caught the jersey, staring at the teens with a mix of curiosity and amazement.