—

Ryder found herself back in the lobby after Scott's ridiculously long explanation of Lydia's arrival. She had expected to go home after dealing with Stiles' father and it seemed Austin felt the same way as he rested his head upon his girlfriend's shoulder.

He let out a sigh, "Things were so much easier before Theo got here."

"I blame Stiles."

He held back a chuckle, "You blame Stiles?" He repeated her words as if he hadn't heard her correctly the first time.

"Yep."

"Why Stiles?"

"He jinxed it." The Anders girl spoke as if it were the most obvious answer. Austin, however, didn't quite to catch on quickly, leading to a huff escaping her lips, "Literal hours before Theo showed up, Stiles was apparently complaining about how nothing had happened in six months."

Austin couldn't help but slightly agree.

Things like this only ever happened to them if someone brought it up beforehand. And now they were currently dealing with arguably one of their biggest issues, simply because of the start of an after high school to college conversation.

The George teen quirked a lip, "You don't blame Scott?"

His words seemed to have riled the girl up a bit as her back straightened up, "Hell, we can blame him too."

Austin watched as she scoffed, her hand squeezing his to let him know just how passionate she was about this.

"I mean, you'd think the guy would learn by now, right? Sure, we got lucky with Kira and Liam, but that does not mean that his other thirty seven 'friendly conversations' hadn't screwed us over before. You mean to tell me that a guy we haven't seen since elementary school walks back into town after however many years and insists that he needs to be apart of your pack and you saw no red flags?"

Austin smiled slightly as she rambled on, knowing that now was a better time than any to let her get her true emotions out.

He wholeheartedly agreed with his girlfriend, though because he was a little more careful with others' feelings, he didn't want to say anything. He was more than happy to let Ryder spill it all out and then proceed to back her up if she ruffled anyone's feathers.

"Don't even get me started on how he trusted Theo over Stiles, Austin."

"Yeah, I mean—"

"His best friend!" She let her body dropped back against the rough hospital chair, "The same best friend that, realistically, kept him alive this entire time. If Stiles wasn't here, Scott would be dead."

It truly bothered her that Scott was so quick to show a lack of loyalty towards Stiles after everything the Stilinski had done for him.

She may have been able to understand his frustration at the beginning, knowing that if Stiles told Scott earlier, a lot could have been avoided. But even Ryder would have hesitated to speak up if the one person she trusted with everything she had indirectly said he'd never be able to forgive someone for murder— even if it were self defense.

Stiles did the best he could with he was given. And unfortunately for him, he was a given a master manipulator and an outrageously gullible best friend with an annoying hero complex.

"I hate to admit it, but without Stiles, we'd all probably be dead." Her voice softened up from the quick speaking she was doing.

As she quieted down, Austin couldn't help but stare at her as she looked at the floor in front of her, her mind running a million miles per second despite all the venting she'd just done.

It blew his mind how she was nothing like the cold hearted girl he first met. But she was now expressing her feelings and frustration through her words rather than yelling and hitting things.

He loved that she no longer let her thoughts consume her until she eventually exploded on the wrong person, or simply turned to cigarettes and alcohol to drown out the constant nagging in her head.

He even more so loved that he was the one she went to when she needed to talk someone's ear off about what she was feeling.

—

Now stood in an empty hospital room, Austin ran his hands over his face in exhaustion, wanting nothing more than to be cuddled up in his bed with Ryder with the calming reality that his mother and Isaac were both safe in their own rooms.

He certain that if something supernatural didn't kill him, the stress of everyone else's problems would.

"It could be a side effect of shock."

"She's catatonic. It was Theo digging his way into her mind."

"How invasive could one guy be?" Austin breathed out, earning a look of agreement from the Stilinski.

"Why would he do that?" Melissa asked, "What is he looking for?"

"The same thing he's always looking for. An advantage."

"So what did he gain by trying to kill Stilinski?"

"It distracted Stiles. It got Scott alone with Liam." Ryder listed.

"Did he just know you'd be here?" Melissa continued to question, the Anders girl shrugging in response.

"Theo wanted to make sure no one would be there to stop Liam from killing me." Scott cut in, unaware of the eye roll Ryder and Austin shared, the couple becoming more and more bored with the McCall.

Stiles scoffed, "Okay, so he gutted my dad as a distraction." He avoided the pitiful stares from the only couple in the room, knowing he'd break down if he locked eyes with either of them.

"We need to find this kid." Parrish said.

"Isn't that a little dangerous? Especially since he almost killed my kid?" Melissa added on.

Austin shook his head, "That very well could have been avoided." His jab wasn't directed at Melissa at all, but more so a defensive comment for Stiles to Scott. He had grown unnaturally protective over the auburn eyed boy since the start of this, and any chance he got to defend him, he'd take it.

"He said he didn't want my dad to die."

"He said a lot of things, Stiles. Whether he meant it, or not, he wouldn't have batted an eye if it actually happened." Ryder told him.

"You believe him?"

"He told me where to find him. So, maybe he also knows how to save him."

"What do you want to do? Talk to him?"

"Well, attacking would only make things worse." Austin spoke up, Stiles nodded at him before talking,

"If it saves my dad, then yeah." He began to step away, briefly glancing at Ryder, a silent question of if she and Austin would be joining him.

The three made their way to the exit, stopping in their tracks as Scott's voice cut through the air,

"I'll come with you. He doesn't know i'm alive."

"Even more of a reason for you to stay away." Ryder muttered, her words coming off a little harshly that she intended.

Scott looked between her and Austin before he focused on Syiles, "Maybe that gives us an advantage."

"He'll know you're there." Stiles brushed him off, following Austin and Ryder out the room, "I just need to talk to him. Not fight him."

"Stiles, you can't go alone." Melissa told him.

"He's not going alone." "I'm not going alone."

It was clear to the three teens that the others hadn't picked up on the silent conversation they had, not that they expected them to.

"Does anyone know how to find him?"

"We don't have to find him." The Stilinski started, "He'll come to me."

—
A/N: rewatching that last scene made me
realize how much the mccall's irritated me in S5...