Return ➵ McCall [DISC.]

24; Replacement

Claire wiped at her eyes, her hand resting on Stiles shoulder and giving it a small squeeze. She took a shaky breath, praying that Theo wouldn't be able to see through their facade.

They both looked up at the sound of footsteps, Theo standing in the open doorway. He glanced down the the line of mountain ash with an amused look before stepping over it, Stiles lacing his fingers together.

Theo gave Claire a smirk, her eyes darting down and breaking eye contact. Stiles, however, didn't waiver. His eyes held contact, his gaze ice cold as he clenched his jaw.

"I guess we're all telling the truth now." Theo said, his eyes wandering towards the top of the stairs. He had almost a curious look on his face, but Stiles interrupted his thoughts.

He tossed the bloodied and torn t-shirt at him, his tongue swiping against the inside of his cheek. His eyes were shiny with tears, if Claire didn't know any better she would have thought they were real. "You killed my best friend?"

"Let's be honest, Stiles." Theo raised an eyebrow, twisting the material in his hands. "Was he still really your best friend?"

"Are you going to let my father die?" Stiles changed the subject, his voice hoarse as he looked up at him.

"If I wanted him to die, I wouldn't have told you where you can find him." He tossed the shirt on the ground, letting his hands fall to his sides.

"Then why are they saying his body is shutting down?" Claire swallowed when Stiles stood up, keeping her head down as she closed her eyes. He wasn't supposed to get up, he was supposed to keep from fighting Theo. "That some toxin's poisoning him and they don't know how to stop it."

"I'm not the bad guy, Stiles." Theo shook his head, making Stiles scoff quietly. "I'm just a realist. I'm a survivor. If you knew the things that I know-"

"Yeah, but what do you know?" Stiles cut him off, giving him a challenging look.

"I know what's coming." He said, his demeanor remaining cool and collected. "I know what the Dread Doctors created, and I know what Parrish is. Lydia and Claire figured it out, I saw it in her memories."

"Right after you drove her out of her mind."

"Collateral damage." The expression on his face was almost a smile, and it made Clair sick to her stomach. "But if she's right about Parrish, then things around here are gonna get a lot worse."

"I don't care." Stiles muttered, shaking his head.

"You should." Theo's tone became more threatening, his next words carefully calculated. "Because if your dad does survive, he's not gonna be Sheriff of anything much longer."

"What's happening to him?" Theo just smiled and turned away, Stiles lunging at him and grabbing his shoulder. "Hey, tell me!"

Theo turned around and shoved him back, Stiles's head hitting the corner on the stair and knocking him out cold. Claire let out a gasp, moving down a step and placing her hands on his chest, shaking him.

"I pity you, Claire." Theo made her look up, taking pure enjoyment from the helplessness in her eyes. "So heartbroken over a boy who didn't even really love you."

"What are you talking about?" Claire seethed, her jaw clenching angrily as he smiled at her.

"You really haven't figured it out yet? I thought you were smarter than that." Theo laughed, shaking his head and holding his stomach. "Allison wasn't Scott's friend. She was his girlfriend, his one epic love."

"You're lying." She whispered, her hand grasping the material of Stiles's shirt.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask Stiles when he wakes up." He shrugged, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "You were just a replacement Claire. Anything you thought he felt for you, it wasn't real. You're just another Allison to him."

Claire couldn't say anything, her body suddenly feeling like it had weights tied to it. Like she was being dragged down, and she was sinking quickly. Theo had a look of pride on his face as he walked away, humming to himself.

Once his car could be heard driving away, Scott walked slowly down the stairs, stopping behind Claire. He could smell the feeling of betrayal on her, so strong and thick it was as if it could choke him.

"Claire." He spoke, reaching out to touch her shoulder. She instantly recoiled, standing up and backing off the stairs. "You can't trust a word he says."

"If what he said isn't true, then why do you look so guilty?" She asked, her voice sounding like broken glass. She looked up at him, the hurt so clear in her eyes. He didn't say a word, his teeth biting into his cheek. "Tell me that I'm not Allison to you, that she has nothing to do with how you feel about me."

Scott opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. If he said that, he wouldn't be telling the truth. Everything about her, the way she held herself, the way she spoke, the way she looked. She reminded him of Allison more and more with each second he spent with her.

A part of him wanted to deny it all, but the other part held him back. He felt frozen in place, watching helplessly as she sucked in a sharp breath.

Her eyes were blurry with tears as she grabbed her keys, shaking her head as she stormed out of the house. She didn't know what or who to believe anymore, but there was one thing she was sure of.

The only one she could trust, was herself.

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