What if I Stayed? (Thiam Fic)

Chapter Twenty Three

"So what the fuck is this tape talking about?" Theo asked, staring at the pile of money between them. Scott had called him and Stiles over to talk and see what he'd found. Apperantly, it was the cash reward for some poor werewold that Garrett and Violet had murdered.

"You ever made a wire transfer?" Stiles asked.

"Never had enough money." Scott shot back.

"Same here." Theo raised his hand, still sitting criss-cross on the floor.

"Alright so none of us understood a word of that." Stiles groaned.

"I don't understand any of this," Scott interlocked his fingers as he spoke. "Why would someone use all this money just to kill us?"

"Someone wants you guys dead dude." Stiles was speaking faster and faster. "Badly."

"We're still standing though." Theo muttered under his breath as Scott began to pack the money away angrily. Theo's mind had been else where most of the meeting as Stiles' words had still made it into his head, despite him having been crying over Liam. 'Soulmates'.

"Woah dude. What are you doing?" Stiles asked.

"PASAT's are tomorrow. I gotta study man." Scott responded quickly.

"No I meant the money." Stiles pointed to the massive stacks of cash. "$500,00 dude. You know how much money that is?"

"500,000 dollars worth?" Theo was a little too tired for Stiles' games and wanted him to just cut to his point.

"Half a million dollars Theo." Stiles interrupted him. "What are you gonna do Scott? Just slide it under the mattress?"

"We need to talk to Derek. I mean, half the money's his." Scott looked conflicted as he said this, biting his cheek slightly. Theo didn't know what to say.

"His and Peter's you mean." Stiles' words left a new feeling of tension in the air. Scott and Theo exchanged a look.

"What does that mean?" 

"It means maybe we should proceed with caution." Stiles said and Theo finally had to speak up.

"So we shouldn't tell Derek? Is that what you're saying?" Theo asked, moving from the floor to the bed. He fidgetted with his hoodie sleeve.

"No." Stiles shook his head, standing up and facing the window where the rain was pouring. "No of course we have to tell him guys. I'm just saying... some of that money's Peter's."

"And he does suck." Theo grumbled, more under his breath than anything. Stiles pointed to him and snapped his fingers.

"Yes, exactly." Stiles walked back over to them, "He's a homocidal killer! Do we really wanna give half a million dollars to him?"

"So we give back Derek's money but not Peter?" Scott raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't say that." Stiles' normal facade of a funny, joke telling guy was gone. Theo shivered as he remembered Void Stiles. The darker side that he'd only seen once but clearly, it still was inside of him. 

"Stiles, what are you saying?' Scott demanded.

"Yeah, what are you saying?" Theo asked, just as curious as Scott to know what he was thinking. Before they could get an answer though, there were footsteps on the staircase. "Shit."

Scott scrambled, shoving the bag full of money under the bed while Stiles frantically looked around for something. Theo just sat up on the bed, pulling out his phone for an excuse of why he wasn't involved with Scott and Stiles.

Malia opened the door, her hair soaked.

"Derek and I found Satomi's pack." She mentioned and Theo cursed himself for forgetting all about that. It involved Brett so why was he to care? He felt guilty though, looking at Malia and knowing that on the latest third of the list, every part of her idenity had been shattered. "They're dead."

"All of them?" Scott was clearly shocked.

"The ones we found were dead." Malia didn't let stuff get to her but it was clear that she didn't feel too good.

"Where's Derek?" Stiles asked, pulling his girlfriend into a hug.

"Went to the hospital with Braeden. That headhunter girl who he hired to find Kate." Malia's voice was muffled by Stiles. "I think she might be dead because she got shot."

"Jesus Christ." Theo cursed, gritting his teeth together. "I feel like shit saying this but, we need to study."

"Oh shit." Malia pulled away, looking panicked. "Oh shit. I definitely need to study."

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"Hey guys," Theo walked up to his friends who were talking feverishly amongst themselves. "You ready for this?"

"No! Of course not!" Malia hissed at him, "I was a fucking coyote for eight years! Why the fuck would I be ready for a high school test?"

"Good point." Theo said, earning glares from his friends. "I'm sure you'll do great though."

"Bullshit." Malia looked around, "Still can't believe Lydia doesn't have to take it."

"Babe, we've been through this." Stiles sighed, kissing her cheek, "Lydia took it freshman year because she's smarter than all of us combined."

"So why isn't Kira here?" Malia asked, looking to Scott.

"In New York she took it last year because they have different school systems." Scott responded, side eyeing Isaac, "I thought it was different in France too."

"Sadly not." Isaac gave a tight smile and Theo regretted having ever walked up here to begin with. "Whatever though. You've got this Lia."

"Thanks Isaac." Malia gave him a fake smile, "I've never heard that one before."

"You spend too much time with Stiles." Isaac scowled as the doors to the class were opened, Ms. Martin standing at the front with some random man that Theo didn't trust.

"Welcome students." The man said, his voice croaky and weird. "Let's begin your tests."