liam dunbar groaned in agony.
despite the fact it was soully a figment of liam's exhausted mind, the walls seemed to get steeper each time he tried to climb; the rocks getting sharper and cutting into his dirty palms.
his breathing was rugged and his running trainers slipped on the wet, black rock, due to their lack of grip.
the blonde boy coughed, his eyebrows drawing together in pain.
liam could see the full moon shining through the slats of wood not far above him.
out of anger, frustration, pain, liam roared, his eyes filling with the monstrous gold the boy hated.
he heard his cry resonate off the cool walls and out into the woods.
little did he know, someone else heard too.
><
the only sound in teddy's ears was the growl of the creatures and the sound of her brother crying out in pain.
the sound of her panting breath was scarce, along with the sound of her feet on crunching leaves.
but, like her brother, who's location was unknown to her, she heard the roar.
for what was not even the first time this day, liam was the only thought running through teddy's mind.
><
once again, liam was so close.
his slippery palm grasped for the cool rock, the sharp edges gleaming in the moonlight.
the sharp pain where the blade had entered liam's skin was just a dull throb under the masses of blood.
an agonising cry escaped the boy's lips as he made the leap and felt his trainers lose grip due to the moisture.
his eyes were clamped shut as he prepared for the repeat of impact on the surface of the water so far below.
but impact never came.
liam felt coarse fingers grasping his forearm, hauling him towards the moonlight.
rocks grazed his legs and arms, but he didn't care.
and soon enough, liam dunbar was in the embrace of his alpha.
"you're okay, liam."
scott soothed the boy.
"you're okay."
gently, liam sobbed into the older boy's shoulder, keeping his eyes firmly shut.
after a while, he pulled back, opening his eyes, and revealing teddy.
at the sight of her, liam gasped.
her clothes were torn and her arms were coated in fresh scratches and bruises.
a blue stain had been acquired, circling around her left eye in the moonlight.
"teddy," liam croaked, and instantly scott turned around, forgetting about liam and pushing him from the warm embrace.
"oh, god, teddy. i'm so sorry. what happened to you after..?"
"it's okay."
teddy's bloodied lips formed a smile.
"i'm not hurt— badly."
the girl shrugged off her brother's worried traces along her arms and cheeks.
"and as for what happened; i don't know exactly."
a groan passed scott's lips, and the alpha looked on the verge of tears.
"i'm so sorry. i should've come and found you. dad.. sheriff stilinski.."
"it's okay."
the brunette girl repeated, clasping her brother's hand supportively.
"you saved another life."
her warm brown eyes moved over to liam, her lips cracking as she smiled at the blonde.
despite his shivering, liam had to smile back.
"besides, something tells me sheriff is okay. and dad?"
"i'll explain later, i promise."
scott assured.
"but now, let's get you two home."
><
scott's car was at least a twenty minute walk away, but it seemed like nothing to liam after hours stuck in the well.
the boy shivered repeatedly as they walked, water rolling off his body.
"you look freezing."
teddy's warm eyes glanced at liam sympathetically.
"y-yeah."
he agreed.
"but there's not a lot to be done; yet."
the young mccall looked down at her jumper, splattered with mud stains.
"i'm not too sure this would fit your muscles."
she laughed, after looking at liam.
right after, a blush came over her cheeks.
partly because she just looked liam dunbar up and down, and admitted to him, that she thought he was muscly.
and good looking.
but that was beside the point.
the other part was that she was still staring.
liam followed the brunette's gaze down to his bicep, where water tricked down the muscle and landed on the crisp leaves at his feet.
seeing her cheeks redden, a laugh escaped his lips, despite how cold and tired and hungry he was.
liam bit his lip, holding back a laugh and whispered to teddy in a hushed tone, so her brother, who was ten feet ahead, couldn't hear him.
"you like what you see?"
he cocked an eyebrow.
teddy's eyes widened comically at his statement, causing another brisk laugh to fill the night air.
once she recovered from her shock, teddy slapped liam's arm lightly.
"maybe."
she hummed, her voice full of humour.
surprised by her response, the blonde made a big show of looking teddy up and down, watching her lips curl up into a smile.
"well, i like what i see, too."
he hushed into teddy's ear, seeing her cheeks turn pink under the light of the moon, which illuminated everything that clear night.
but, before teddy could respond, a yell was heard from ahead.
"oi, dunbar, eyes off my sister!"
teddy laughed once again before raising an eyebrow at the blonde, and jogging off to walk alongside scott.
comprehending the situation, liam remained stationary, before running to catch up with the siblings.
><
the car ride to deaton's was short; lucky for liam.
as soon as he stepped foot in the car, liam almost passed out.
"oh, liam!"
teddy gasped, catching him by his arm before he could hit the floor.
teddy's arm wrapped around his back as she leaned him against the car, unable to keep his weight up.
once he was positioned, teddy moved in front of the boy, looking him up and down.
"are you okay?"
she asked, her voice soft.
slowly, teddy reached her hand forward, grazing her hand against liam's cheek.
"yeah.."
liam's voice was hoarse, and deeper than normal.
liam leaned forwards a little, moving ever-so-closer to teddy.
and like that, the pair remained, blue eyes meeting brown, teddy's hand still rested on the boy's cheek.
though, as always, the moment was ruined.
"liam, you're smoking!"
"yeah, scott, i know i'm hot—" liam leaned away from teddy quickly, her retracting her hand at lightning speed.
"—but you're not my type."
liam finished his joke.
when the blush on her cheeks had died down, teddy took a glance at liam.
"jee, liam, you are!"
"i know, love—"
liam yelped before finishing his next statement.
yellow smoke was curling up the boy's chest, seeping through his shirt where the blood had stained.
"we have to get him to deaton; now."
scott said to his sister.
together, the pair slowly lowered liam into the car, before running round to their own seats.
scott climbed into the drivers seat, and teddy swung the door open on the other side of the car, clambering in next to liam.
"how are you feeling?"
she asked him as the engine revved up.
"ugh.."
liam groaned as his head lolled back.
a wave of pain washed over him, dousing his senses.
"quick, scott, he's getting worse."
teddy panicked, but her voice was muffled by the ringing in liam's ears.
the beta collapsed sideways in the car; his head would've hit the handle if it hadn't been for teddy.
she caught the boy, resting his head in her lap gently.
liam was beginning to feel woozy, his eyesight going fuzzy.
more yellow smoke curled off his body.
each motion of the car as it travelled down the road churned liam's stomach.
he groaned, reaching out for something to hold on to, go steady him.
he happened to find teddy's hand.
liam clutched teddy's small hand in his own, squeezing tight when the pain became unbearable.
meanwhile, teddy whispered reassuring comments in liam's ear one minute, and was screaming her worries at scott the next.
liam was drifting in between consciousness, fresh waves of pain rolling over his body.
the last thing he remembered was teddy kissing his forehead softly and telling him everything would be okay.
><
teddy couldn't stand to look as deaton dug the knife into liam's sternum.
yellow smoke billowed out of the wound, making the girl cough and gag, and then the wound healed up.
liam exhaled heavily, his breathing stabilising for the first time since he collapsed in the car, and he finally looked at peace as he slept, which made teddy content.
scott placed a hand on liam's forehead gently and deaton scowled.
"i don't want to keep watching people die."
scott said finally, stroking the sleeping boy's hair, his eyes never leaving the healing wound.
argent looked at the boy sadly.
"i'm not sure you have much choice about that."
"maybe i do."
scott said, finally looking up at the hunter.
"that's a lot of burden to carry, scott."
deaton's voice was bland, and wise.
"i don't care."
the alpha shook his head before pausing.
"no one else dies. everyone on that list, everyone on that dead pool. it doesn't matter if they're wendigos, or werewolves, or whatever. i'm gonna save everyone."
the room was wrapped with silence.
in that moment, teddy knew she should have mentioned something; something about what had happened tonight, at least what she could remember.
but, for some reason, she didn't.
instead, she said;
"when did dad get here, scott?"
scott's eyes lifted up to his sister.
scott waited a minute, then swallowed heavily.
"a while ago."
"why didn't you tell me?"
teddy asked, her voice edging slightly louder as her anger boiled.
"because—" scott's voice was on the verge of breaking.
"we don't know what he wants."
"what is there for him to want, scott?"
teddy was losing her patience.
the only reason her voice remained relatively low was liam, asleep on the operating table.
"a second chance?"
she continued.
"some money? because we both know he isn't getting either of them."
scott shook his head, his eyes brimming with tears at his baby sisters rage.
"no."
he croaked slowly.
"but he could want you."

short and overdue oops, gonna try speed things up cos this is going so slow oopsies