First Week of Summer. Five Weeks Remain.
Theo had slept on what Blaine had said to him. Though it was hard to actually think about when he had images of rolling hills and mountains flashing behind his eyes every time he closed them. It had taken Theo a few hours to actually fall asleep after crawling into bed, but when he did, he dreamed of dragon hordes and burglars and when he woke up, he was rested and well enough to conjure a plan.
The plan didn't happen right away. It happened over the time of a week. It happened after a pot of coffee and a bagel with jam. It happened while he was changing into his clothes for the day. It began dancing around his head as he pulled on a pair of dark wash, fitted jeans. It stayed there, jumbled, as he slipped his arms into a white button down, and tugged a blue v-neck light sweater over that. The plan bounced around his skull. It was hard to make the ends of it meet and flow fluently. Then, as he grabbed his wallet and keys, and made his way downstairs it started to sound itself out. By the time that Theo Dorian had his converse on and laced, there was the solid base of a plan in his head.
He left his house with his phone cradled between his shoulder and chin. It rang three times while he got into his car.
"Hello?" Blaine's voice wasn't tired or sounding of sleep, despite the early hour for a summer morning. Theo wasn't surprised. Blaine was always up early.
"Hey, Blaine." he said, taking his phone in his hand and leaning back against the drivers seat, "I've done some thinking."
"Ah," Theo could hear the smile in Blaine's voice as came out amused, "Have you thought up a plan then?"
"The beginning of one, I think." He said, sliding his keys into the ignition.
"That's a place to start." Blaine said thoughtfully. Theo made a face at his friend's cheek even though Blaine couldn't see him. He switched his phone to speaker as he began searching through music half-heartedly.
"Isn't it just?" He mumbled, "Should I come to yours? Or do you want to meet somewhere?"
"Dwayne and I are already up, so we won't be too hard to rustle together." Blaine said, and Theo could hear what he guessed was the other boy getting dressed, "Let's meet at the boys. Ki and Farin won't be willing to get out of bed to go anywhere this early."
"It's seriously 9:30."
"I know it's 9:30." Blaine responded, and Dwayne began shouting in the background shortly following.
"That's ass o'clock during the summer, just so you know!" Theo laughed and started the car.
"I'll bring coffees then. Maybe something to eat."
"You do that. We'll meet you there." Blaine said and hung up without a good-bye.
Theo smiled and dropped his phone between his thighs, putting the car into reverse and driving out of the driveway. His music choice, a beautiful epic of bagpipes, fiddles, heavy metal guitars and operatic vocals, urged him on and as he drove, his plan played over and over, and it made him excited.
After he had made his quick stop at the local cheap coffee and doughnut place, ordered and paid, he found himself pulling into the drive way. When he killed the engine and pulled the emergency break, there was a swift knock on the driver side window. Jumping in his seat he looked and saw Dwayne glaring at him through the glass.
"Morning, Dwayne." he said, opening the door and stepping out. He reached back into the car, over the driver seat, grabbing one coffee from the cup holder in the centre console. He handed it to Dwayne who took it without a word. Dwayne clutched the paper cup in his hands and took a sip, letting out a sigh after swallowing.
Theo smiled and looked over the roof of the car, where he saw Blaine holding the two flat one dozen doughnut boxes and the drink tray holing four coffees. He obviously grabbed them in the short time that Theo had his back turned. Theo smiled and closed the car door.
"Did you seriously drive with these just balanced on your seat?" Blaine asked Theo as he walked passed him. Theo just shrugged.
"You are so careless sometimes." Blaine clicked his tongue.
"Careless?" Theo shot back. "I like to think of it as resourceful and daring." he said over his shoulder, as the three of them made their way up to the large wooden doors. He pulled out the spare key his aunt had given him and unlocked the door. "I had no one there to hold them. I did what I had to." He finished his explanation.
"You did it for the coffee." Dwayne's voice came from behind and Theo turned to him. Dwayne had his eyes shut and was nodding. "You're a good man."
"I'm a great man." Theo retorted and opened the door.
They stepped through the threshold and moved around each other in the spacious boot area. Theo leaned down, quickly untying his shoes and toeing them off before grabbing the coffee tray and doughnuts from Blaine, who thanked him quietly. Theo walked quietly into the house. It was a fair sized house, much like his own. He was proud to say that his father and his father's brother worked hard for Theo and his cousins, to give them a comfortable living and home life.
He padded down the long hall and into the open, bright-lit kitchen, mindful of his stocking feet on the smooth hard wood flooring. He looked up and saw his aunt sitting at the kitchen table, the curtains were pulled open and the morning summer sun danced into the room, lighting the paper she was reading and catching in her blonde hair. She looked up at Theo and smiled warmly.
"Why do you insist on buying that cheap crap?" She asked motioning at the tray of paper cups, "Is my home brew not good enough for you?" Theo smiled. Placing the load of snacks on the counter, he walked up to her and pressed a kiss into her hairline.
"Morning Aunt." he gave her a one armed hug, "and talk to your boys. This is their poison, not mine."
His aunt was about to say something but was cut off by a petulant whine.
"What are you doing here?"
He turned and saw Kieran coming into the kitchen rubbing the sleep from his eyes and yawning. Farin followed him a few moments looking significantly less tired.
"I bring you sugary baked goods, and coffee, and that is the response I get? See if I ever do anything of the like again." Theo actually surprised himself with how hurt he sounded. Even though he really wasn't.
Kieran looked over at him, and shrugged sheepishly. "I didn't ask you to."
He walked over to the boxes on the counter, He pulled out a chocolate doughnut and bit into it's softness. He smiled, taking one of the coffees in his hand and sipping between chews. He finally swallowed.
"Thank you, though."
"You're welcome." Theo responded firmly.
"So, what are you guys doing here?" Kieran asked after devouring the doughnut. He looked at his older cousin with a furrowed brow. Farin, who had joined his younger brother at the doughnut counter turned his gaze to Theo from over Kieran's shoulder.
Theo fixed him with a very slight nod, which he gave back, getting the hint. He leaned in close and whispered into Kieran's ear. The two boys shared a nod. Farin grabbed a box of doughnuts and Kieran grabbed the coffee, and they both moved swiftly from the kitchen.
Theo turned to his Aunt and gave her another hug. "The honey glazed are in the remaining box." He said. He heard her sharp exhale.
"You three are all so lucky that I love you so damned much. I can't believe myself. Letting you have that for breakfast." She got up from her place at the table. Moving over to the counter, she opened a box, she said, "So damn lucky." and took a small bite of her own.
Theo smiled at her and followed after his cousins.
It turned out the boys had all decided to hold their little congress in Farin's bedroom, which was probably the safest. Kieran's room was notorious for being a mess even on it's best day.
Theo stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He took a look around. He really did like the set up the two boys had. Their rooms were separated, attached by a conjoined bathroom. And the doors were usually left open, so it was easy to see the red of Farin's room contrasting with the blues of Kieran's.
Farin's bed was situated in the right corner and was always relatively neat, a orderly pile of plush animals wedged in the upper corner. Never made, but not a nest of blankets and pillows like Kieran's. He had a desk, which wasn't spotless, but it didn't look like a war zone, placed in front of the large window, a drafting table wedged in beside it. Theo's gaze moved over the panels sketched out on poster board, the t-sqaure hooked over the top ledge of the table. and the rest of the wall space were taken up by a chest of drawers, with a television on it's top, a rack for his DVD's and games, and a few shelves housing anything from books, to comics, to models, to weaponry.
Theo placed his coffee on the writing desk and leaned against it. He crossed his arms as he watched the others get comfortable. Dwayne took to leaning on the wall by the door, Blaine was sitting in the chair pulled away from the desk, and Kieran was already nesting in Farin's bed.
"Will Ollie and Beau be joining us?" Farin asked, crawling onto his bed with his brother. He jabbed the younger in the ribs, earning a sharp, offended yelp, muffled by the layers of bedding. "You're not sleeping." Farin said to the moving lump. He turned back to Theo and fixed him with a questioning gaze.
Theo couldn't believe he forgot to contact them. He forgot about Beau and Ollie. He was opening his mouth to come up with an excuse or something when Blaine spoke up,
"They should be here shortly."
Theo looked over at him and when Blaine winked at him, Theo gave him an appreciative smile. He really would be nowhere if it weren't for his friends sometimes. He turned back and looked at the other boys in the room. They were all looking at him expectantly. Theo felt his hands begin to sweat.
"So," he began, shakily. He cleared his throat and tried again, "I have had some time to think. And I have used it to... think." God, he was horrible at this. He shook his head and went on, "I did not do what I have been blamed for." Theo took a few heavy breaths.
"I spoke to my father last night. I haven't told him- He knows as much as you all know, and that's all you will know for now, I'm not ready to tell you - " Theo cut himself off, trying to avoid rambling. He took a deep breath. "He and I spoke about whats going to happen. There will more and likely be charges, I'll know more when I speak to the lawyer. This is really, really bad. But, I didn't do it. I need to prove that, and I will be honest, I need help. There's not a lot I can do this summer with an on-going investigation. But, I have to do something."
Theo stopped talking, and Kieran popped his head up from under the blankets, his curly hair tussled from it.
"What happens if you don't?" He asked.
Theo cleared his throat and coughed loudly. "Nothing good"
Kieran spoke up with something powerful in his voice. "It isn't right." He made a move to get off the bed, but Farin pushed him down. Kieran wasn't done. "They can't punish you for something you didn't even do! That's not right. We - " Kieran cut himself off, taking a deep breath and looked between Farin and Theo, "What do you need? What do you need us to do? We stay together. Right?"
"You do, Kieran." It wasn't Farin or himself that spoke, and Theo looked back at Blaine in surprise. Blaine stood up from the chair he was sitting in and tapped his knuckle on the are of the chair. "You do stay together, we stay together. Which is why I'm going to ask." he turned to Theo and fixed him with a stare, "What do think we have got on - " Blaine almost said a name then caught himself. "The owner of that backpack?"
"The guy is almost untouchable." Theo answered, "Almost." Theo pushed himself away from the desk and turned to face the window, gazing out over the backyard. "There was this box, a filing box under the bed that I was never allowed to touch. And there was a safe in the closet."
"What was in it?" Blaine asked,
"I only got to peek into it once, when - " Theo paused, shaking his head, "-I saw the usual rich kid stuff. Money, money, valuables and a leather journal."
"Why the hell does a teenager need a fucking safe?" Dwayne grumbled.
"Wait. Wait." Kieran said from the bed, "Are we going to talk about the fact that - The owner has a diary?"
"Well, when one is that vile, it's no surprise that they'd need a place to store it all." Farin said, "I don't think its possible for someone to have all that nastiness inside one head."
"Why am I picturing a 'Burn Book'?" Kieran said quietly, eyes narrowed as he looked to the side.
"I'm thinking that we need that journal." Theo said, interrupting his cousins. Blaine nodded.
"Indeed we do." he said, "Do you think it would give you what you need to get through this? To come out on top?"
Theo nodded. "I do." He said. And he did. He was sure, ninety-nine percent sure that this was the only proof of Theo's innocence. And he needed it.
"Well, then," Blaine said, "I believe this is the perfect time to tell you that I have taken upon myself to find a way, a someone that might - will - be able to get that book for you."
Theo looked at him hard, "What do you mean?"
The bedroom door slammed open and "Sorry we're late!" was shouted into the room. Theo turned his attention to Beau and Ollie as they came in. Beau was all smiles and slightly out of breath, his eyes dancing with excitement.
"We had to get her but we're here now!" He exclaimed.
"Get who exactly?" Theo asked, skeptically eyeing his friend. Ollie darted out of the room with a gasp and quickly returned pulling someone in behind him. Blaine moved up beside Theo.
"Theo, May I introduce the girl who will be helping us, helping you, for the next few weeks." He said, voice dancing with amusement.
It was then that Theo noticed that the person Ollie was pulling into the room behind him was in fact a girl. A small girl.
"Sorry. I saw doughnuts." She said quietly to Ollie. Ollie shook his head and moved behind her and gently shoved her forward. She stumbled a bit, glaring over her shoulder at Ollie. She straightened and looked up at Theo with wide eyes. His throat tightened upon seeing her.
She maintained eye contact while he looked her over. She was small with curly hair and green eyes. Or were they hazel? Either way, the dark ring around the iris drew Theo in instantly, and it was hard for him to look away. He quickly studied her face, the freckles that lightly dusted her nose, her brow, angled in a fierce expression and down to her full, pursed lips.
She wore leggings printed with the design of human leg bones and a large knitted jumper, littered with the design of sparkling roses. Her hair was in a tangled knot at the back of her head, her face was void of make-up save for a small amount of mascara on her eyelashes. It wasn't until he noticed her daring expression that he realised he was staring.
Theo cleared his throat again, fighting a blush. "And who is this, exactly?" Blaine placed a hand on the girls shoulder.
"This is our burglar, she's going to steal us that journal..."
"Burglar? What the hell-wait. You're planning on sending her to break in and steal it? You want to send - " He motioned wildly at the girl, who was now scowling at him, "-This into Sargent Goldsmith's lair?" The other boys in the room flinched and Theo lost it. "Oh my God. You can say his name; he's not fucking Voldemort!" He shouted. Kieran snickered from the bed.
"You said Sargent Goldsmith isn't fucking Voldemort. What an image." Theo shot a seething glare at his cousin. Kieran shrugged. Theo snarled at him and shook his head before turning back to the girl, holding a hand out towards her.
"She looks like she's barely capable of stealing pens from the bank teller." Theo said. He heard her indignant scoff and he looked down at her, "Be honest, can you even reach over the counter to steal a pen?"
She leaned back and looked at Theo, cocking her hip to the side and crossing her arms. "Well, that's just rude." She said, plainly, "Acting as if you're the only one in the situation who is unimpressed." She looked him up and down. The action made Theo feel small, "You don't even know me. And also, I was promised coffee, doughnuts and - " she looked him over once more, much slower this time and gave a sneer and quirked a brow. "-Well... again. It isn't just you who isn't impressed."
Theo looked at this girl, his brow lifted, his breathing slow and he turned sharply to Blaine. "What is that and when can I fight it?" Beau let out a long whistle.
"I'd like to see you try." She said before Theo could turn to Beau. He turned back to her.
"I could probably fit your whole head in my hand. I would - "
"Theo. This is Brann Bowman's sister, Wilhelmina." He said raising his brows, "Wilhelmina Bowman."
Theo stopped. He knew the name. Wilhelmina Bowman was a girl he had always wanted to meet. A girl who's name was tossed about their circle of friends often over the past year, but rarely seen. A mysterious, little creature, who had been named and nicknamed after one of his childhood heroes. A hero he had just recently read about.
He slowly looked back at her. Her fierce expression was now replaced, her face pinched in confusion as she looked between the two boys.
"You're Billy." he said quietly.
"Yes?" She said back, lifting a brow and turning her head to give him a sidelong eye.
"You're Bilbo Bowman." he said again, just as quietly.
There was a moment of silence. The her face scrunched into a frown and in disbelief she said
"Seriously?"