Melissa smiled warmly at what Mitch had said.
"Mary?" She asked, unable to detect the tension in his voice and the pain that Mitch hid from them.
The Sheriff raised his eyebrows at that. He hadn't really thought of who the other people in Stiles life now were, but before he could process his thoughts, his son's blunt answer caught him and Melissa off guard.
"She's dead, it was a terrorist attack..." Mitch said, his expression hard and his voice emotionless, "It's weird when you realize that supernatural aren't the only threats in this world that need to be dealt with".
Melissa and the Sheriff glanced at each other, his words made them suddenly feel uneasy...
Mitch glanced downwards as he said slowly, "I'd rather not talk about her, if you don't mind?"
Melissa quickly said hurriedly "Of course"
His father coughed as he asked, also eager to get off the subject that made Stiles seem like a stranger, "Where have you been staying then? You don't have any bags with you..."
"I've moved into a flat in town, I...thought you might not want me staying here, on the account I've been gone for so long?" Mitch said simply and questionably, looking uncomfortable.
"Stiles" His father said, more firmly, "You'll always be welcome here"
Mitch looked up at him in surprise, but it was gone from his face as soon as it had gotten there, his surprise gave way to a small grateful smile.
"Thank you" He said.
Though, Mitch had to wonder if his father would contradict that statement once he found out what he really did. Mitch wouldn't blame his father for it, but he probably felt a little upset, maybe despite having the go ahead from Kennedy, that's why he still hadn't mentioned what his job with the CIA entailed...
Maybe despite all these years, he still feared his Dad's expression if he knew what his son was doing.
"Are you... staying?" His father asked, hopefully and hesitantly.
His also scared, Mitch realized, scared that I'll run away again, but he hated how he couldn't dismiss that fear.
So Mitch withheld a grimace at the hope on his father's face, then watching it deflate as he shook his head.
"What I do for a living requires me to move around a lot. I'll stay for as long as I can, I'm only on break at the moment but when I get called I'm going... I..." Mitch trailed off, trying to think of a better way to say it.
"What I do for the CIA, it's...different, and it puts people around me in danger if I stay too long in one place. I'm a field agent. I'm not behind a desk sorting out paper work, I'm usually in different countries, hunting down potential threats".
He didn't say what he was required to do once he found these potential threats.
He knew from Melissa and the Sheriff's reactions, they seemed worried but not wary or scared, that they probably assumed he'd be giving the arrests, sending them to court, putting them in prison, that sort of thing...not the one pulling the trigger.
And he made no move to correct their assumptions.
He'd technically told them, right? It didn't exactly matter if he'd neglected to mention the finer details...
"What about the pack?" The Sheriff finally asked.
Mitch raised his eyebrows as he asked, "What about them?"
Melissa said, frowning slightly, "You are planning to tell them you're okay? Aren't you? They were worried sick about you, especially Scott. He never gave up hope, but the rest think you're dead!"
Mitch actually smiled at that, but it was more of a smirk as he said, "Then I'll just have to change that, then won't I?"
The Sheriff and Melissa hadn't seen him in ages, but both of them caught the little glint in his eyes.
"What are you planning?" Melissa asked, but knew somehow she didn't want to know.
Mitch didn't reply, he just smiled darkly.
Well, he thought, with me back there is the potential that the pack might be running into threats they're not used to...
Especially if he accidentally left a trail back to Beacon Hills. Mitch was sure he hadn't but in this line of business he could never be too careful.
The pack would have to be prepared, just in case someone came digging. Someone like Mitch, but less...friendly.
They'd have to be prepared to protect his identity and his father.
And Mitch had the perfect idea on how to test the pack to see if they could protect themselves from that kind of threat...
It would be fun, for him.